Medium tannin in Alto Adige

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Alto Adige's first wine to carry the official Vigna single-vineyard designation (1987 vintage). Pinot Nero from clay-limestone soils on the Mazon plateau, with the north-west facing rows cooled by the Ora wind from Lake Garda.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Nals Margreid's selection Pinot Nero Riserva from the Berg vineyards in Magre near the southern Bassa Atesina end of the cellar's reach. A value alternative to the famous Mazon-zone Pinot Noirs - same Bassa Atesina terroir, lower price.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Deep luminous ruby cellar-aged Santa Maddalena: aromas of cherries, laurel and a hint of cacao beans; expressive red-berry and cherry, concentrated with fine spice and structure, fine tannins ending in a lengthy red-berry finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Falkenstein Pinot Noir from Naturno-Vinschgau granite-gneiss soils: wild-berry and cherry aromatics with finely structured tannins and elegant flavour profile, released unfiltered after a four-year ageing programme.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Brilliant ruby red with violet reflections; intense nose reminiscent of forest berries; full-bodied and silky with soft tannins and lively freshness, dark currant and spice on the palate with persistent finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative

Deep dark red Lagrein from Loacker Schwarhof's biodynamic Bolzano vineyards: fruity nose with intense forest fruit, eucalyptus, violet, spice and vanilla; balanced acidity with soft tannins, chocolate and tobacco mid-palate, dark-berry depth.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Rustic

Alte Reben Vernatsch from 80-110-year-old vines in Oltradige at 450 m: elegant and full-bodied with fruity tannins and marvellous flavour, demonstrating Vernatsch's serious side.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Alois Lageder's single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the Krafuss Estate on a hilltop in Appiano at 430-450 metres. Garnet with ruby shimmer; pronounced fruity-spicy bouquet, medium-bodied with savoury fruit and silky tannin. The estate is owned by Roland Riz, Alois Lageder's father-in-law.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Deep purple-red Lagrein from Bolzano at 260 m: violet and chocolate on the nose with ripe damson and spice, elegant velvety structure with tightly knit tannins and subtle bitter almond on the finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Egger-Ramer's Lagrein Gries: dark, aromatic, earthy - the classic Bolzano-Gries local hero per the producer's own description.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina St. Pauls's Riserva-line Pinot Nero. The name combines 'Lehm' (clay) and 'Mont' (mountain) - indicating the soil and altitude that form the wine. Decisive and persistent finish with classic Pinot Nero structure.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Tiefenbrunner's flagship Pinot Nero Riserva from select vineyard sites in Entiklar and surrounds. The Linticlarus selection range delivers complex, elegant wines with extended ageing potential; the Pinot Nero is among Alto Adige's reference single-estate Pinot Noirs.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Manincor's selection Pinot Nero from the Mazzon plateau at 400-450 metres, sourced from the oldest vines in the highest position of the family's four hectares of Mazon Pinot Nero. Demeter biodynamic-certified; described by Manincor as the 'Grand Cru of Grand Cru'.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Tenuta Pfitscher's flagship Pinot Nero Riserva from select Pinot Noir parcels in Montagna. Organic; powerful and dark-toned with elegance from the day-night temperature differential. The cellar's calling card from the contemporary ClimateHouse-certified winery.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Hofstaetter's Mazon-area Pinot Nero Riserva, sourced from the limestone-sandstone plateau that produces structurally consistent Italian Pinot Noir. Deep ruby-garnet colour, ripe sweet seductive fragrance, with multifaceted notes of forest floor, berries and Amarelle cherry.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Intense dark ruby Lagrein with violet and rose aromatics, dark-berry palate with velvety tannins and typical acidity. Versatile food wine raised in large oak rather than barrique.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Elena Walch's supreme Pinot Noir achievement, released in limited 3000-bottle allocations and named after the Egyptian sun god. Sourced from vines 15-61 years old at 400-600 metres at Glen and Barleith; clay-calcareous soils, low-yielding French clones.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Elena Walch developed Ludwig in the early 2000s as the cellar's everyday-prestige Pinot Nero, named after her husband. The wine is medium-bodied and age-worthy.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Intense ruby Pinot Nero from Appiano Monte at 500-600 m: ripe cherry and plum-jam aromatics with walnut and finely integrated oak; elegant structure with soft warm tannins and a delicate mineral persistent finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-site Pinot Nero Riserva from a Girlan parcel: cherry and wild-berry aromatics with spice, elegant and structured palate with the calcareous-soil mineral spine that distinguishes serious Alto Adige Pinot Nero.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Brunnenhof Mazzon's flagship Pinot Nero Riserva from 5 organic hectares on the Mazzon plateau at 400 metres - sandy clay soil, afternoon sun, Ora wind from Lake Garda. The cellar's 'King of Mazon' bottling from north-facing limestone-clay parcels on the Mazon plateau.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Franz Haas's flagship Pinot Nero, first vintage 1987 (released 1990). Sourced from vineyards between 350 and 700 metres with high planting density (8000-12500 vines per hectare); the cellar's signature single-vineyard Pinot Nero from the Mazzon zone.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Plonerhof Pinot Noir: cherry aromas with wild-berry flavours per the producer, classic Pinot Noir expression from Marlengo above Merano.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Franz Haas's top-tier Pinot Nero from the Ponkler vineyard at high altitude. Sits above Schweizer in the cellar's hierarchy; small allocations, structured for long cellaring.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Praesulis Pinot Nero from steep Eisacktal slopes at 400-800 m: finesse-rich red-fruit aromatics with alpine herb spice shaped by Dolomite fallwinds, structured fresh palate from barrique ageing in the rock-carved cellar.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Kaltern's Riserva-line Pinot Nero from members' best Pinot Noir parcels around Lake Caldaro. Medium-bodied, round and savoury; demonstrates Schiava's lake-side neighbour has serious Pinot Noir credentials.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina St. Michael-Eppan's Sanct Valentin Pinot Nero Riserva from select Appiano microzones at altitude. Selection-tier Pinot Noir from the Sanct Valentin lineup that established the cooperative's international reputation.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Elegant

Single-vineyard Santa Maddalena Classico from the Heilmann site in Cardano: red cherry, violet and almond aromatics, smooth and structured palate in the traditional Schiava-Lagrein blend formula.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Rustic

Single-vineyard Santa Maddalena Classico from the Premstallerhof site at 450-550 m near Bolzano: elegance and smoothness from Schiava complemented by Lagrein complexity, demonstrating Schiava's serious side.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Stroblhof's flagship Pinot Nero Riserva, named for Sepp Hanni and bottled from the oldest vines on the south-east facing Stroblhof vineyard at 500 metres in Pigeno (Appiano). The cellar's top old-vine selection.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Ruby Schiava-led Riserva-style Santa Maddalena: cherry, violet, nutmeg and cinnamon aromatics; full-bodied and well-balanced with prominent tannins, fine dark chocolate and ripe red fruit alongside elegance and softness.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Cantina Girlan's Pinot Nero Riserva from south-facing porphyry sites in Bassa Atesina and Oltradige at 380-550 metres on clay-limestone and moraine-over-porphyry. Cherry-maraschino aromatics, structured tannic framework; 28-month mixed-vessel oak programme.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Single-vineyard Pinot Noir Riserva from the Ganger monopole in Mazon at 360-380 m on calcareous clay: ripe fruit, cherry, sour cherry and wild berry on the nose with marzipan; elegant and refined with good acidity and spicy notes.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Brunnenhof Mazzon's premium single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the Vigna ZIS parcel, made from highly ripened grapes and aged minimum one year in tonneaux. The producer describes Vigna ZIS as more concentrated, full-bodied and spicier than the Riserva.