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.
Blend: 60% Chardonnay, 22% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Pinot Bianco and 7% Gewürztraminer
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Snow peas, grapefruit, white flowers, ginger and salted almonds on the nose, followed by a cool, spicy and full-bodied palate. It has delicious tropical fruit undertones while remaining minerally, crisp and lively. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, gewurztraminer and pinot bianco.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 65% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Pinot Bianco and 5% Gewürztraminer, the Cantina Tramin 2023 Alto Adige Stoan shows soft tones of cooked pear, quince, pastry crust and crushed stone. These are the four banner white grapes of Alto Adige and all come from nine hectares of vines located at 400 to 600 meters in elevation.
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Vinous
The 2023 Stoan opens in the glass with a minty resonance, giving way to stone dust and sweet spice. It is balanced throughout, with a candied citrus inflection and polished orchard fruits underscored by crisp mineral tones. Youthfully tense, the 2023 leaves a lemony concentration that puckers the cheeks as a saline tinge lingers. The Stoan is a blend of 65% Chardonnay, 20% Sauvignon, 10% Pinot Bianco and 5% Gewürztraminer.
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Wine Spectator
This elegant white shows lovely balance, integrating its stony underpinning, fresh acidity and layered flavors of poached pear, quince, blanched almond, white blossoms and fleur de sel. Lightly chalky in texture and plush on the lasting finish. Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco and Gewurztraminer.
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.