Winemaker Notes
The wine shows a straw color with light lemon hue. The aromas are intense yet clean and suggest hints of peaches, ripe pears and elderflowers as well as tropical aromas of pineapples and mangos. The wine is fresh and gentle on the palate, with great balance and lasting intensity.
Stoan seems almost intentionally crafted to match the exotic flavors of Asian fusion cuisine and is wonderful with dishes like braised halibut in a coconut and lemongrass sauce or caramelized ginger chicken with jasmine rice.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This successful blend is not shy of smoky oak spices, which still need a year to better integrate. Underneath there are impressive intensity and texture, with a full body and an ample and very flavorsome creamy finish. I like the length and substance here.
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Wine Enthusiast
This heady white wine opens with aromas of candied lemon peel, delicate pink rose petals, and a medley of tropical fruits, all intertwined with hints of sweet spice. On the palate, the wine reveals a delightful interplay of stone-fruit flavors and roasted orchard-fruit notes. The result is a wellbalanced and refreshing white wine that aims to please.
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Wine Spectator
A mandarin orange peel tang of acidity enlivens this well-balanced white, offering a counterpoint to the texture's satiny nappe as this carries finely meshed notes of ripe persimmon, Gala apple, blanched almond, fleur de sel and orchard blossoms. Shows good drive on the finish. Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco and Gewurztraminer. Drink now through 2029. 5,000 cases made, 120 cases imported.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
A mountainous northern Italian region heavily influenced by German culture, Trentino-Alto Adige is actually made up of two separate but similar regions: Alto Adige and Trentino.
Trentino, the southern half, is primarily Italian-speaking and largely responsible for the production of non-native, international grapes. There is a significant quantity of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Merlot produced. But Trentino's native and most unique red variety, Teroldego, while still rare, is gaining popularity. It produces a deeply colored red wine rich in wild blackberry, herb, coffee and cocoa.
The rugged terrain of German-speaking Alto Adige (also referred to as Südtirol) focuses on small-scale viticulture, with great value placed on local varieties—though international varieties have been widely planted since the 1800s. Sheltered by the Alps from harsh northerly winds, many of the best vineyards are at extreme altitude but on steep slopes to increase sunlight exposure.
Dominant red varieties include the bold, herbaceous Lagrein and delicate, strawberry-kissed, Schiava, in addition to some Pinot Nero.
The primary white grapes are Pinot grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc, as well as smaller plantings of Sauvignon blanc, Müller Thurgau. These tend to be bright and refreshing with crisp acidity and just the right amount of texture. Some of the highest quality Pinot grigio in Italy is made here.