Elegant

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Boxler's Brand Gewurztraminer, a warm-site granite expression. Concentrated rose, lychee and ginger with the cuvee's saline mineral lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Boxler's Brand Grand Cru Riesling, from steep granite slopes above Turckheim. Warmer-site fruit than Sommerberg but with the same precise dry register.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Boxler's E parcel selection on Sommerberg, a 70-year-old vine block on steep south-facing granite above Niedermorschwihr. Sharp, mineral, slow to age.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Boxler's L parcel selection on Sommerberg (formerly called Jeunes Vignes), younger granite vines but the same incisive mineral character.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Albert Mann's Furstentum Gewurztraminer from limestone slopes above Sigolsheim. Concentrated, saline, with a particularly mineral cut for the grape.

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

Albert Mann's Pinot Noir Grand H from old plots on Grand Cru Hengst, bottled as Alsace AOC because Hengst was not yet open to Pinot Noir at the cuvee's launch. A Burgundian-register Alsace red.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Albert Mann's selection from the heart of Schlossberg, the original 1.5 hectare epicentre of the Grand Cru. Biodynamic, structured for the cellar.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Albert Mann's Steingrubler Gewurztraminer from gentle limestone slopes above Wettolsheim. Lighter than Furstentum but in the same aromatic Grand Cru register.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Albert Seltz's Zotzenberg Sylvaner, the only Sylvaner permitted on a Grand Cru in Alsace. Seltz led the campaign for Sylvaner's recognition on Zotzenberg.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Festive · Elegant

Barmes-Buecher's vintage-dated extra-brut Cremant. Long-aged on lees in a Champagne-style Alsace Cremant, biodynamic, often zero-dosage.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Barmes-Buecher's Hengst Riesling from calcareous-marl slopes above Wintzenheim. Biodynamic, limestone-driven, dry and slowly developing.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Barmes-Buecher's Steingrubler Gewurztraminer from limestone slopes above Wettolsheim. Concentrated rose and lychee in a saline biodynamic register.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Beck-Hartweg's Frankstein Riesling from coarse granite around Dambach-la-Ville. Biodynamic, dry, with the brisk, light register of Dambach granite.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Funky · Elegant

Bernard Bohn's natural-style Schist Riesling from Reichsfeld in the Lower Vosges. Biodynamic, smoky, mineral; one of the few Steige-schist bottlings in Alsace.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Bott-Geyl's Furstentum Gewurztraminer from limestone-rich slopes above Kientzheim. Concentrated, saline and structured by altitude.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Bott-Geyl's Mandelberg Riesling from south-facing limestone-marl slopes near Mittelwihr, named for the almond trees that once dotted the slope.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Bott-Geyl's Schoenenbourg Riesling from marl-gypsum slopes above Riquewihr. Concentrated and saline with the cool-climate cut of the cru.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Bott-Geyl's Sonnenglanz Gewurztraminer from south-facing marl-limestone slopes around Beblenheim. Sun-glanced fruit (the cru's name means 'sunshine') with a saline mineral lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Bruno Sorg's Florimont Riesling from limestone slopes near Ingersheim. The cru takes its name from 'flower hill' for its rich Vosges flora.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Cave de Ribeauville's Clos du Zahnacker is a near-monopole walled vineyard from the cooperative founded in 1895, complanted with the noble grapes.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Funky · Elegant

Binner's complanted Kaefferkopf, named for his daughter Beatrice. Field-blend of noble grapes in a natural-wine register; Kaefferkopf became Alsace's 51st Grand Cru in 2007.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Funky · Elegant

Binner's natural-style Schlossberg Riesling. Bone-dry, granite-driven, often with a slight reductive twang from the no-added-sulfite winemaking.

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

Trimbach's 1.67 hectare monopole inside Grand Cru Rosacker, declassified to Alsace AOC by family preference. Piercing dry Riesling that needs a decade to unwind into wax, citrus and Vosges granite salinity.

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

Trimbach's flagship Riesling blends Grand Cru Geisberg and Osterberg fruit. Dry, structured, smoky, built to age but rich enough to drink young.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Dirler-Cade's Kessler Gewurztraminer from sandstone slopes above Guebwiller, biodynamic since the early 1990s. Concentrated rose and lychee with a saline lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Dirler-Cade's Kitterle Riesling from terraced sandstone slopes above Guebwiller. Smoky, dry, structured; biodynamic since the mid 2000s.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Dirler-Cade's Spiegel Gewurztraminer from sandstone-marl slopes above Bergholtz. Concentrated rose and lychee with a saline lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Domaine Agape (Hunawihr) Rosacker Riesling from limestone slopes in the cru that also houses Trimbach's Clos Sainte Hune. Organic and bone-dry.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Etienne Loew's Muschelkalk Riesling from limestone-marl slopes around Westhoffen in north Alsace. Demeter biodynamic, dry, structured.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Domaine Saint-Remy's Hengst Pinot Gris from calcareous-marl slopes above Wintzenheim. Biodynamic Demeter, lightly off-dry.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Emile Beyer's Pfersigberg Riesling from limestone slopes above Eguisheim. Biodynamic, dry, structured.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Ernest Burn's Clos Saint Imer is a walled monopole inside Grand Cru Goldert. The Gewurztraminer is the maison's flagship aromatic white.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Frederic Mochel's Altenberg de Bergbieten Riesling from marl-gypsum slopes in north Alsace. The family is a long-established landholder on this Grand Cru.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Gustave Lorentz's Altenberg de Bergheim Riesling from calcareous slopes above Bergheim. Organic, dry, structured.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Grossi Laue (Alsatian for 'great growth') is Hugel's bottling from their oldest plots in Schoenenbourg and Pflostig. Dry, stony, structured, built to age.

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

Hugel's serious Pinot Noir, named for the cousins of the 13th-generation family, sourced from old plots around Riquewihr and Hunawihr. Burgundian register with Alsace lift.

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

A single 0.45 hectare parcel high on Grand Cru Schoenenbourg, declassified to Alsace AOC because Hugel disagrees with the wider GC delimitation. Hugel's flagship dry Riesling, released as a multi-decade vintage statement.

Dessert · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Botrytised Gewurztraminer at near-Sauternes ripeness, made only in noble-rot vintages. Saffron honey, candied rose and an apricot-jam palate.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Jean Francois Ginglinger's Pfersigberg Riesling from limestone slopes above Eguisheim. Biodynamic, dry, structured.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Jean-Marie Haag's Zinnkoepfle Gewurztraminer from south-Alsace limestone hill. Concentrated rose, lychee and ginger with a saline mineral lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Josmeyer's Brand Grand Cru Riesling from steep granite above Turckheim. Concentrated and saline with the family's signature precision.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Josmeyer's Hengst Riesling from calcareous-marl above Wintzenheim. Slower-developing, herbal and limestone-driven.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Kuentz-Bas's flagship Gewurztraminer from Eichberg above Eguisheim. Concentrated rose and lychee with the cuvee's saline mineral lift; biodynamic since 2007.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Kuentz-Bas's Pfersigberg Riesling from limestone slopes above Eguisheim. Dry, structured, saline; biodynamic in the new-ownership era.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Beyer's mid-tier dry Gewurztraminer from Eguisheim-area plots. The accessible step below the Comtes d Eguisheim flagship; bone dry in the house style.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Beyer's flagship dry Gewurztraminer from Pfersigberg-area plots. Rose, lychee and white pepper, but unusually dry and structured for the grape.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Beyer's flagship Riesling, sourced from old vines on the Pfersigberg slopes around Eguisheim. Steely, dry, mineral; built for a long cellar.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Leon Boesch's biodynamic Zinnkoepfle Gewurztraminer. Concentrated rose and lychee from one of the highest Alsace Grand Crus.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Leon Boesch's Zinnkoepfle Riesling from south-facing limestone-marl slopes above Westhalten. Biodynamic Demeter, dry and structured.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Lucien Albrecht's Pfingstberg Riesling from sandstone-marl slopes around Orschwihr. The maison is a long-established Pfingstberg landholder.

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

Marc Kreydenweiss's Kastelberg Riesling from steep Steige-schist slopes above Andlau. Biodynamic since 1989; smoky, dry, structured.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Marc Kreydenweiss's Lerchenberg lieu-dit Pinot Gris from Andlau. Bone-dry, biodynamic, more austere than typical Alsace Pinot Gris.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Marc Kreydenweiss's Moenchberg Pinot Gris from limestone slopes above Andlau. Concentrated, lightly off-dry, with the biodynamic register of the domaine.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Marc Kreydenweiss's Wiebelsberg Riesling from sandstone slopes above Andlau. The sandstone counterpart to Kastelberg's schist; lighter, more aerial.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Marc Tempe's Mambourg Gewurztraminer, long-lees aged in old foudre. Demeter biodynamic; concentrated rose, lychee and honey.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Marc Tempe's Schoenenbourg Riesling, long-lees aged in old foudre. Biodynamic, structured by the marl-gypsum slope above Riquewihr.

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

Marc Tempe's Pinot Noir from biodynamic vines around Zellenberg. Long-aged on lees in old foudre, Burgundian-register Alsace red.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Deiss's complanted Altenberg de Bergheim, with Riesling dominant in the field-blend. Calcareous Bergheim soils, long ageing, profound structure.

Off Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Deiss's complanted Burg lieu-dit, on calcareous slopes around Bergheim, recently included in the Alsace Premier Cru list. A more accessible expression of the complanted style.

Off Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Deiss's complanted Langenberg from sunny calcareous slopes, Premier Cru tier. Riesling-led and more austere than Engelgarten.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Marcel Deiss's flagship complanted Grand Cru, a field-blend of the Alsace noble grapes co-fermented on Mambourg's south-facing limestone. The estate's case for terroir over varietal.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Deiss's complanted Schoenenbourg above Riquewihr, marl-and-gypsum soils, Riesling-dominant. Cooler and more racy than Altenberg or Mambourg.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Melanie Pfister's Engelberg Riesling from northern Alsace limestone slopes near Dahlenheim. Biodynamic and bone-dry.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Felix Meyer's Wineck-Schlossberg Riesling from granite slopes above Katzenthal. Bright, racy, granite-driven.

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

Andre Ostertag's Pinot Blanc-Auxerrois from limestone-marl slopes, barrel-aged in old oak. Biodynamic, Demeter, almond-and-peach in a more serious register than typical Alsace Pinot Blanc.

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

Andre Ostertag's Riesling from volcanic-sandstone Muenchberg Grand Cru above Nothalten. Sharp, smoky, structured; a Lower Vosges Riesling worth seeking out.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Paul Blanck's Furstentum Riesling from old limestone vines (old vines, vieilles vignes). Concentrated and saline; one of the maison's flagship Grand Crus.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Paul Blanck's Mambourg Gewurztraminer from south-facing limestone slopes above Sigolsheim. Concentrated and saline.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Paul Blanck's flagship Schlossberg Riesling from old vines on Kientzheim granite. The maison was the first to bottle Schlossberg as a single-vineyard wine from 1976.

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

Mure's serious Pinot Noir from the Clos Saint Landelin monopole on Vorbourg. The V is the cuvee bottled when Vorbourg-grown Pinot Noir warranted a Grand-Cru-quality cuvee, though officially labelled Alsace AOC.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Mure's Clos Saint Landelin is a monopole inside the Vorbourg Grand Cru, south of Colmar. The Riesling is concentrated, saline, structured by the cuvee's limestone-marl.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Funky · Elegant

Jean-Pierre Rietsch's natural Zotzenberg Sylvaner. One of the few biodynamic natural bottlings of the only Alsace Grand Cru open to Sylvaner.

Off Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Rolly Gassmann's Kappelweg lieu-dit Riesling from Rorschwihr. Late-released with the maison's signature touch of residual sugar.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Rolly Gassmann's Moenchreben lieu-dit Gewurztraminer from Rorschwihr. Concentrated and saline; the maison aged in cellar 4 to 6 years before release.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Cuvee Christine is Schlumberger's family-named Vendanges Tardives Gewurztraminer, sourced from Kessler and Kitterle parcels. Honeyed and floral, made only in warm vintages.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Schlumberger's Kessler Gewurztraminer from sandstone slopes above Guebwiller, slightly off-dry in style. Rose, lychee and a ginger-spice register.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Schlumberger's flagship Kitterle Riesling from terraced sandstone vineyards above Guebwiller, often planted on slopes that need monorail access. Smoky, dry, structured.

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

Schoenheitz's Linsenberg Pinot Noir from Munster valley granite. The maison is the main producer working the upper Munster valley sub-zone.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Schoffit's Auxerrois from Rangen volcanic soil; one of the few Alsace producers who bottles single-cru Auxerrois rather than blending it as Pinot Blanc.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Schoffit's volcanic Pinot Gris from Clos Saint Theobald. Concentrated, smoky, lightly off-dry; a distinctive Alsace Pinot Gris expression.

Dry · Full-bodied · Racy acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Schoffit's flagship Riesling from the Clos Saint Theobald inside Grand Cru Rangen, the southernmost Alsace volcano. Smoky and intensely mineral, structured for decades.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Sipp Mack's Rosacker Riesling from limestone slopes above Hunawihr, the same Grand Cru that Trimbach's Clos Sainte Hune sits in.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Sylvie Spielmann's Altenberg de Bergheim Riesling from calcareous Bergheim slopes. Biodynamic, dry, structured; one of the rare female-run domaines in Alsace.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Jean-Louis Trapet's Schoenenbourg Riesling, an Alsace branch of the famous Gevrey-Chambertin family. Biodynamic, dry, structured; a Burgundian eye on Alsace.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Jean-Louis Trapet's Sporen Gewurztraminer from clay-rich slopes above Riquewihr. Biodynamic, concentrated rose, lychee and ginger with the cuvee's saline lift.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Late-harvested Gewurztraminer at high natural ripeness, produced only in warm vintages. Honeyed apricot and lychee with the trademark rose-petal lift.

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

Trimbach's serious Pinot Noir from old-vine Mambourg-area sources, made in a Burgundian register since the warm vintages of the late 2000s opened ripening windows in Alsace.

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

Valentin Zusslin's Bollenberg Pinot Noir from south-facing limestone slopes above Orschwihr. Biodynamic, Burgundian-register Alsace red.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Valentin Zusslin's Clos Liebenberg monopole Riesling, on south-facing limestone above Orschwihr. Biodynamic and structured, with the salinity of a hillside-walled vineyard.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Festive · Elegant

Valentin Zusslin's biodynamic Cremant Rose, made from 100 percent Pinot Noir. Salmon-pink, long-lees ageing, more serious than a typical Cremant rose.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Zusslin's Pfingstberg Grand Cru Riesling from sandstone-marl slopes around Orschwihr. Biodynamic, dry, structured for the cellar.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Stoeffler's Kirchberg de Barr Riesling from limestone slopes around Barr. Biodynamic, dry, with the cru's clay-limestone weight.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Stoeffler's Klevener de Heiligenstein, a rare Alsace-only appellation for Savagnin Rose grown around five communes near Barr. Aromatic but more restrained than Gewurztraminer.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Weinbach's noble-rot Pinot Gris from the Altenbourg lieu-dit. Honeycomb, candied apricot and saffron honey; a multi-decade dessert wine made only in exceptional vintages.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Weinbach's flagship Gewurztraminer from old vines on Furstentum's limestone slopes, named for one of Colette Faller's daughters. Concentrated, aromatic, structured.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Cuvee Theo, named for Theo Faller, is Weinbach's Alsace AOC Riesling, sourced from the Clos des Capucins vineyards around the domaine in Kientzheim.

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

Weinbach's flagship dry Riesling from old vines on Schlossberg granite, picked late on Saint Catherine's Day (25 November). The estate's most precise Riesling.

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

Weinbach's top Schlossberg parcel selection from the very oldest Schlossberg vines (planted in the 1940s). Released only in vintages that yield exceptional ripeness with retained acidity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Wunsch et Mann's Hengst Riesling from calcareous-marl above Wettolsheim. Dry, mineral, structured.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant

Zind-Humbrecht's Brand Grand Cru Riesling from steep granite slopes above Turckheim. Warm-site fruit with sharp granite mineral lift; richer than Hauserer, drier than Windsbuhl.

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

Zind-Humbrecht's monopole walled-vineyard Riesling, perched below Grand Cru Hengst on calcareous-marl soils. Pure dry Riesling, often singled out as a benchmark.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Zind-Humbrecht's Clos Saint Urbain Rangen Pinot Gris, full-bodied and lightly off-dry. Honeyed pear, smoke and volcanic mineral grip.

Dry · Full-bodied · Racy acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Zind-Humbrecht's flagship Riesling from the Clos Saint Urbain inside Grand Cru Rangen, the volcanic-slope masterpiece. Smoky, intensely mineral, structured for two decades.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Zind-Humbrecht's limestone-driven Pinot Gris monopole, lightly off-dry, structured by altitude and Muschelkalk.

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

Zind-Humbrecht's Clos Windsbuhl monopole sits high above Hunawihr on Muschelkalk limestone. A cool-climate, slow-developing Riesling, structured for a long cellar.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant

Zind-Humbrecht's Hengst Gewurztraminer from calcareous-marl slopes above Wintzenheim. Power, concentration and a saline-honey core.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Greenish-bright-yellow Sauvignon from Cornaiano-Appiano and the Bressanone basin: elder blossom, stinging nettle and green pepper on the nose; refreshing and lively with mineral-rich juicy spiciness.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Greenish-bright-yellow Kerner from south-facing slopes at 650-800 m: peach, apricot and tangerine aromatics; lively, juicy and sleek on the palate with mineral-rich finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Greenish-yellow Sylvaner from the Bressanone valley basin at 650-750 m on moraine soils with mica schist and quartzite: ripe apple, pear and cantaloupe on the nose, powerful and mineral-rich on the palate with a juicy finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Cantina Andrian's selection Pinot Bianco - the cooperative's flagship white. Predominantly steel-aged with only brief wood contact, showcasing the calcareous-clay soils of Andriano in a fresh, mineral style.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Cantina St. Michael-Eppan's prestige cuvee, released only in vintages the cellar declares the wine worthy. A multi-varietal blend of the cooperative's best parcels (typically Chardonnay-led with Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio); the blend composition varies vintage to vintage.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant · Bold

Aristos Gewurztraminer from 550-650 m on dioritic soils: elegant aromatic intensity with subtle clove and vanilla on the nose; aromatic, spicy and full-bodied on the palate with considerable weight.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Aristos Gruner Veltliner from 550-600 m on sandy-loam soils: subtle floral and herb aromatics with balanced fruit; pleasantly spicy and fresh on the palate with a refined finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Aristos Kerner from 800-970 m altitude: peach-driven aromatic intensity with racy elegance, dry and full-bodied on the palate with characteristic nutmeg spice and high acidity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Eisacktaler Sylvaner from 550-700 m around Kloster Saeben: elegant peach and green-apple aromatics with quartz-phyllite minerality; fresh and structured with a long mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant · Bold

Loacker Schwarhof's biodynamic Atagis Gewurztraminer: a full-bodied, elegant version of the variety, not too fruity. 'Atagis' was the Roman name for the Adige (Etsch) river.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Nals Margreid's selection Chardonnay Riserva from the Baron Salvadori estate in Magre on white chalky gravel soils at 220-350 metres. South-southeast exposure; vines on 30-year-old espalier with high planting density. Producer-confirmed clean notes of Abate pear and kiwi.

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

Hofstaetter's single-vineyard Pinot Bianco from the Mazon plateau at 450 metres on biostimulant-mineral-rich Werfen sedimentary rock. The compact rock prevents deep root growth, creating positive stress that yields a Pinot Bianco of marked minerality and elegant structure.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Fruity

Cantina Kurtatsch's single-vineyard Gewurztraminer Riserva from the warm Brenntal site northwest of Kurtatsch. The red loamy soils give multifaceted aromatics (lychee, roses, mango, caramelised orange peel, lavender) on a creamy-textured, muscular palate. Up to 20 years cellaring capability.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Cantina Kurtatsch's flagship single-vineyard Merlot from the Brenntal UGA (Additional Geographical Unit) north of Kurtatsch, one of the warmest sites in Alto Adige (up to 40C). Powerful and dark-fruited yet retains alpine character; the cellar's terroir-emblematic red.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Manincor's flagship Bordeaux-style cuvee blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the Castel Campan vineyards above Lake Caldaro. Demeter biodynamic; styled for long cellaring with firm tannin structure and dark-fruited depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Elena Walch's single-vineyard Chardonnay Riserva from the Castel Ringberg estate above Lake Caldaro - the family's monopole. Full-bodied, creamy and saline, structured for long-haul cellaring on the porphyry-limestone soils of Caldaro's western shore.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Alois Lageder's flagship single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the spectacular steep slope of Roemigberg above Lake Caldaro. Planted to Cabernet in 1986 and Demeter-certified biodynamic; cherry-red colour with ruby shimmer, concentrated aromatics, full-bodied with elegant present tannins.

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.

Off Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Tramin's late-harvest Gewurztraminer aged for nearly ten years inside the Schneeberg silver mine at 2000 metres altitude before release. Off-dry, intensely mineral, with botrytis-adjacent honey and saffron notes; among the more rare aromatic whites in Italy.

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

Falkenstein Pinot Blanc from Naturno-Vinschgau sandy granite-gneiss soils: apple, pear and citrus-fruit aromatics; full acidity and pleasantly crispy palate from 10 months on lees in acacia plus 12 months in bottle.

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 · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Falkenstein Riesling from Naturno-Vinschgau on sandy soils interspersed with granite, gneiss, slate, mica and quartz: stone-fruit aromatics of apricot and peach with citrus elements, structured acidity and distinctive mineral qualities.

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

Falkenstein Sauvignon from Naturno-Vinschgau sandy soils: blackcurrant, grapefruit and elder-flower aromatics with accentuated acidity in the finish. Acacia-barrel raising builds structure rare for the variety.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Tiefenbrunner's single-vineyard Mueller-Thurgau from the Penon-Fennberg plateau at 1000 metres (3280 feet) - an Italian single-vineyard wine at approximately 1000 metres altitude. Light straw-yellow with greenish reflexes; intensely aromatic with mineral notes that increase with age. Part of the Vigna selection range since 2017.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Peter Dipoli's varietal Merlot from the cellar's southern Alto Adige vineyards. Third of just three wines Dipoli produces, sitting alongside Voglar and Iugum; full-bodied, velvety, structured.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Cantina Tramin's selection Pinot Grigio from the Freisinger vineyard above Termeno, partially aged on the lees for added texture. A serious cellaring-grade Pinot Grigio with depth and saline minerality, far removed from the commodity style.

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 · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Fruity

Elena Walch's single-vineyard Gewurztraminer from Vigna Kastelaz - one of the rare southern exposures in Alto Adige, with an extraordinary 63 percent slope overlooking Tramin. Rich golden colour with rose-and-lychee bouquet and characteristic mineral lift.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Cantina Colterenzio's hyper-limited Sauvignon Blanc Riserva from the oldest parcels of the Lafoa vineyard, planted in the late 1980s with French Sauvignon clones. Strictly limited to 4085 bottles per vintage; awarded White Wine of the Year by Gambero Rosso.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Elena Walch's flagship white cuvee, predominantly Chardonnay with select complementary white varietals. Fermented and aged in new French oak barriques; dense and complex, creamy yet juicy, the wine's name references the alpine altitude of its vineyards.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Peter Dipoli's Bordeaux-style cuvee blending Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the cellar's vineyards across Egna, Magre and Cortaccia. One of just three wines Dipoli produces; structured for long cellaring.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant · Bold

Kofererhof Gewurztraminer from altitude vineyards near Novacella: complex aromatic palate per the consortium, with the variety's characteristic rose-petal-and-lychee signature lifted by upper-Valle Isarco freshness.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Kofererhof Kerner from harsh-altitude conditions around Novacella: harvested in three separate pickings to deliver fresh-to-complex range, full-bodied aromatic palate with high acidity.

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

Kofererhof Sylvaner from high-altitude organically managed vineyards around 800 m near Novacella: intense, mineral-rich, juicy and complex per the consortium description, structured palate from harsh-altitude conditions.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Tenuta Kornell's flagship Merlot Riserva from the Kressfeld parcel - the cellar's top offering. Aged in barriques and large oak barrels; full-bodied, velvety and structured for long cellaring.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Kuenhof's Gruner Veltliner from Kuenhof and Nafen at 550-700 m: freshness and delicate aromas of pepper and green apple, in the variety's lighter approachable mode.

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

Riesling Kaiton from steep Lahner slopes: clear structure with intense mineral taste plus fruity and spicy aromas, in the middle-to-high ageing window of serious Alpine Riesling.

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

Kuenhof's Sylvaner from three vineyard locations at 550-750 m in the Valle Isarco: complex and salty with fruity spice, particularly strong taste and a long finish from the mica-slate base.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Colterenzio's Lafoa Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva from the sunny Lafoa hillside vineyard at 430 metres behind the winery; the parcel was developed by replanting Vernatsch to Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a ripe Alto Adige Cabernet.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Colterenzio's Lafoa-line Sauvignon Blanc - the cellar's selection-tier white from the same Lafoa hillside vineyard as the flagship Cabernet. Full-bodied, structured and saline; established Colterenzio as a Sauvignon Blanc reference alongside Terlano.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Intense garnet single-vineyard Lagrein from the 2.7-hectare walled Klosteranger site behind the monastery: concentrated dark-berry aromatics surprisingly fresh with coffee and raspberry; firm tannins, fresh acidity and elegant depth.

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

Lageder's single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the Lehenhof site in Magre, vinified with spontaneous fermentation in large oak and extended lees contact. Demeter-certified biodynamic; balanced between cool-climate herbal lift and lees-driven texture.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Manincor's flagship single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and only white in the cellar's Crown line - styled as a Grand Cru in the Burgundian tradition. From the Lieben Aich location in Terlan at 350 metres on volcanic porphyry, where grapevine roots draw minerals through loamy quartz sand. Demeter biodynamic.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Tiefenbrunner's flagship Chardonnay Riserva from a distinguished Entiklar vineyard adjacent to Vigna AU. Radiant deep straw-yellow with flinty mineral and toasted walnut aromatics; ripe pear, quince and a whisper of citrus zest on the palate with fine tannins and integrated acidity.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Tramin's selection Sauvignon Blanc, oak-aged on lees from the loamy soils that give the wine its name. Full-bodied, structured and saline, designed for cellaring rather than the bright herbal style of cool-climate Sauvignon.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Lageder's flagship Chardonnay from the best Loewengang parcels in Magre at 230-330 metres. The vines are among the oldest in Alto Adige (approximately 145 years). This was the first South Tyrolean white to position itself on international markets in the 1980s.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Fruity

Cantina Terlano's flagship Gewurztraminer from south-southwest slopes at 300-400 metres. Dry-finished with an intensive light-golden colour, fine-grained exotic tropical aromas, and the saline mineral character that distinguishes Terlano whites.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Franz Haas's signature white blend, dedicated to Maria Luisa Manna and first released in 1995. A cuvée of Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Kerner.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Tenuta Ritterhof's flagship Lagrein Riserva, labelled MANUS in the cellar's top Rarus selection range. Deep dark and garnet red with an almost black core; aromas of ripe cherries, wild berries and dark chocolate, with juicy fleshy tannins and fine coffee aromas on the palate.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Tenuta Pfitscher's Riserva-tier Sauvignon Blanc from organic Montagna vineyards. The cellar's selection Sauvignon, lees-aged for texture and structured for medium-term cellaring.

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 · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Greenish-yellow Sauvignon Riserva from Cermes at 450-550 m: elderberry, tomato leaf and gooseberry on the nose; very elegant and racy with a fine long finish, minerally and delicate with a discreet hint of wood.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Pale straw-yellow Sauvignon from steep gravelly slopes above Bolzano at 500 m: nettle and grapefruit on the nose with developing flint mineral, crisp acidity and persistent aromatic palate.

Sweet · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Romantic · Fruity

Franz Haas's signature Moscato Rosa - a rare native red dessert grape produced as a sweet wine. Distinct rose-and-red-berry register with elegant acidity that prevents cloying; the cellar's most distinctive bottling alongside the Schweizer Pinot Nero.

Sweet · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Romantic · Fruity

Castel Sallegg's late-harvest Moscato Rosa is the cellar's signature dessert wine, made from the cellar's historic estate above Lake Caldaro owned by the Counts of Kuenburg since 1851.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Terlano's historical Terlaner Cuvee Riserva blending Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc - the three traditional Terlano white varieties that were already bottled together when the cellar was founded in 1893. Soft, rich and deep, with creamy oak-aged texture and stone-fruit complexity.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Fruity

The Cantina Tramin selection Gewurztraminer from Soell and Schoenleiten vineyards above Tramin. Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards since the 1999 vintage, dry-styled, full-bodied with classic rose-and-lychee aromatics on a saline porphyry-driven palate.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Pacherhof's Kerner from mica-slate slopes in the Valle Isarco. The cellar dates back 1,000 years and the family farms the variety on the schistose Eisacktal slopes.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Tenuta Ritterhof's Paratus Alto Adige Sauvignon DOC, the cellar's Sauvignon expression in the middle Collis range. The producer describes it as combining vegetable and fruity-flowered notes of elderberry flowers and raisins with delicate acidity and a full taste.

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

Niedrist's Diversity-tier Pinot Bianco Berg from Cornaiano altitude vineyards: white-peach and citrus aromatics with mineral lift, fresh and structured palate from mixed steel-and-large-oak raising.

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 · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Plonerhof Sauvignon Blanc Exclusiv with elderberry and lime-blossom aromatics over grapefruit and tropical-fruit register, in the cellar's Exclusiv top tier.

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 · Low tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Alois Lageder's selection Pinot Grigio combining immediately-pressed grapes with partial skin contact and whole-grape fermentation. Sourced from vineyards at 210-740 metres on stony, sandy limestone soils; the wine brought skin-contact orange-style winemaking into the regional mainstream. Demeter-certified biodynamic.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant · Bold

Praesulis Gewurztraminer with an exceptional aromatic range from classic rose petal to lychee characteristics, crafted dry to allow the complex aromatic profile to shine without residual sweetness.

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 · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Gump Hof Praesulis Sauvignon from steep south-west-facing slopes at 400-800 m in the Eisacktal: fine, juicy fruit aromatics with distinctive delicate citrus spice; structured palate with sustained finish.

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

Praesulis Weissburgunder: a highly elegant and complex wine that reveals its multilayered character after extended air contact in a large Burgundy glass, an ideal food-pairing wine from steep Eisacktal slopes.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Terlano's single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from sandy quartz-rich soils above Terlano, first vintage 1991. Full-bodied, exotic-fruited and intensely saline, with nine months on the lees split between large oak and stainless steel.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Cantina Kaltern's Quintessenz-line Sauvignon Blanc from Lake Caldaro vineyards. The selection-tier expression with lees-driven texture and elegant alpine fruit; the cooperative's white-wine flagship alongside the Kalterersee Classico Superiore.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Cantina Terlano's library-release Pinot Bianco: late-disgorged bottlings from vintages typically 15 to 40 years old, released annually in small allocations. The cellar's proof of Pinot Bianco's ageing potential; demonstrating Pinot Bianco's 30-year-plus ageing potential.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Manincor's flagship Heart-line three-grape Lake Caldaro white: Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc blended together. Named after Countess Sophie Goess-Enzenberg; oak-fermented and lees-aged for texture. Demeter biodynamic.

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

Single-vineyard Riesling from the Vigna Windbichel parcel planted 1993 at 700-760 m with full southern exposure - exposed to both sun and wind, producing intense aroma development in the grapes.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina St. Michael-Eppan's Sanct Valentin Pinot Bianco - the cellar's flagship Pinot Bianco from selected microzones around Appiano. Full-bodied with creamy lees-driven texture and saline minerality; cellar-worthy and structured.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina St. Michael-Eppan's Sanct Valentin Sauvignon Blanc from select Appiano microzones. Selection-tier Sauvignon with lees-driven texture and saline minerality, designed for both immediate drinking and medium-term cellaring.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Cantina St. Pauls's jewel-in-the-crown Pinot Bianco from steep south-facing Vigna slopes below the church in Missian, aged in clay amphora. Powerful and stately; among Alto Adige's most distinctive Pinot Bianco bottlings via the amphora ageing protocol.

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 · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Sauvignon from a Porphyr (volcanic) and Kalk (calcareous) site combination, the name itself describing the two soil profiles: classic elder-gooseberry-nettle aromatics, racy mineral palate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina St. Pauls's Riserva-tier Sauvignon Blanc from mineral-rich limestone soils. The cellar describes how 'Schliff thrives' on the limestone, with the Sauvignon's deep roots forcefully penetrating the scrap of earth on which it grows.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Nals Margreid's flagship single-vineyard Pinot Bianco from the Sirmian terraces above Nalles at 500-700 metres on limestone, gneiss, mica, slate and marble soils with porphyry bedrock. Hand-harvested in mid-October; named Italian white wine of the year by Gambero Rosso.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Manincor's selection Chardonnay from Heart-line vineyards above Lake Caldaro. Named after Countess Sophie Goess-Enzenberg; Demeter biodynamic, oak-aged for creamy texture with elegant structure.

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 · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Easygoing

Luminous ruby Santa Maddalena Classico at 95% Vernatsch + 5% Lagrein: inviting red-berry aroma with cherry-almond hint, the palate is linear and elegant despite juicy structure with silky tannins and rosehip-cherry-blood-orange aromatics.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Tenuta Kornell's Staffes Lagrein Riserva from the cellar's Settequerce porphyry and limestone slopes near Bolzano. Full-bodied, firm-tannined Lagrein from the historic estate at the foot of Greifenstein castle.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cantina Tramin's flagship white blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Bianco and Gewurztraminer from porphyry-limestone soils around Tramin. Full-bodied with creamy oak-aged texture and a saline mineral spine; aimed at long-haul cellaring.

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

Stroblhof's Strahler Pinot Bianco from the cellar's vineyards in Pigeno (Appiano). A historical Pinot Bianco that the producer describes as bringing 'the very soul of Stroblhof' to glass; lees-aged for texture.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Strasserhof Kerner with peach, elder and pineapple aromatics: aromatic, fruity, full-bodied and mineral on the palate, in the variety's characteristic full-bodied register.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Strasserhof Sylvaner with the producer's descriptors of banana and green apple aromatics: fruity and elegant with balanced acidity and mineral finish from the Valle Isarco mountain slopes.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Kerner from Karneid (Cornedo) with the Glogglhof split-harvest technique: an early picking for acidity and freshness, a later picking for fullness and palate diversity, yielding peach and spice in a structured fresh frame.

Dessert · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Tenuta Lieselehof's hyper-rare passito dessert wine from air-dried Piwi-variety grapes with approximately 300 grams residual sugar. The cellar's Quintessenz bottling sits at the apex of the dessert wine range; tiny allocations of around 800-848 bottles per vintage.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Cantina Terlano's flagship white cuvee, blended only in select vintages from the cooperative's best Vorberg, Kreuth and Winkl parcels. Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc combined into the cellar's most ambitious cuvee, total production 1500-3000 bottles per vintage.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Fruity

Late-harvested noble-rot Gewurztraminer picked in the first days of winter from a single Tramin parcel where botrytis develops. Sweet, deeply concentrated, with bright acidity balancing 150 grams of residual sugar; styled as Tramin's answer to Alsace's Selection de Grains Nobles.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Cantina Andrian's flagship Lagrein Riserva. Founded in 1893, the cellar has aged Lagrein in barrique for decades; Tor di Lupo is the modern expression of that programme, eighteen months in French oak.

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 · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Pinot Bianco from Unterortl's south-facing terraces at 740-850 m with a lower 25-year-old parcel at 570 m: apple-pear-mineral aromatics, structured elegant palate from altitude-driven acid retention.

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

Riesling from Castel Juval Unterortl's oldest vines (~25 years on average) at 650-760 m with southeast-to-south exposure on sandy, rocky, well-drained soil. The Vinschgau's dry continental climate gives the cuvee its signature mineral spine.

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 · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Fruity

Hofstaetter's single-vineyard Gewurztraminer from the historic Kolbenhof estate above Tramin (one of the village's most renowned farms), on clay-rich quartz-porphyry soils at 360-420 metres. Distinctive dry style with finesse balancing the variety's natural opulence.

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.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Peter Dipoli's Sauvignon Blanc from 3 hectares of terraced slopes in Penon (Cortaccia) at 500-600 metres on sandy dolomitic-limestone soils. First vintage 1990; ten-day fermentation in large acacia barrels and ageing on lees until May.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Cantina Terlano's flagship single-vineyard Pinot Bianco from the south-facing Monzoccolo slopes (450-650 metres altitude) on quartz-rich porphyry. Full-bodied, creamy, flint-driven; an age-worthy Italian Pinot Bianco, capable of 20-30 years cellaring.

Dry · Refreshing · Elegant

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Vissoux's Chardonnay from Pierres Dorées limestone soils: precise, mineral-driven Beaujolais Blanc with white peach and chalky freshness in the understated house style.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Terres Dorées' Chardonnay from the golden limestone of Pierres Dorées: between Mâcon and Chablis in character, with peach-blossom freshness, chalky mineral and restrained richness.

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

Jean-Paul Brun's signature Beaujolais AOC uses old-vine, whole-cluster Gamay from the golden limestone soils of Pierres Dorées for a richer, more textured and age-worthy expression than typical Beaujolais.

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

Vionnet's prestige Villages cuvée from older parcels: Morgon-influenced depth and structure, with kirsch, incense and a long iron-mineral finish that punches above appellation level.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Elegant

Post-2017 renovation cuvée from the L'Espigon parcel: richer and more oak-influenced than the classique, with full body and concentrated dark-fruit structure.

Dry · Refreshing · Elegant

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Elegant

Chiroubles classic from a long-standing Cheysson family estate: perfumed, high-altitude Gamay with pronounced floral delicacy and bright cherry fruit.

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

Cheysson's parcel-selection Cuvée Prestige from older vines at Chiroubles' coolest high-altitude sites: deeper fruit concentration, firmer structure and genuine ageing potential.

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

Named for the old mule path across the Chiroubles hillside, this single-parcel cuvée sits at the top of Cheysson's range: granite-driven, mineral, long-finishing Gamay with extended barrel-ageing.

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

Voûte des Crozes' Côte de Brouilly from the volcanic Mont Brouilly slopes: dark-cherry and stony-mineral profile with the appellation's characteristic volcanic lift.

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

Terres Dorées' Côte de Brouilly from Mont Brouilly: volcanic-mineral depth with dark cherry concentration and the firm, structured grip of the appellation's blue-syenite soils.

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

Pierre Cotton's parcel-selection Côte de Brouilly: volcanic-stone mineral tension with blue-fruit concentration and structured, long finish.

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

Volcanic Gamay from the granite and blue syenite of Mont Brouilly: deep blue-fruit core, stony minerality, firm tannin and long finish.

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

Thivin's classic Côte de Brouilly blending seven parcels across the hill for a precise, floral Gamay with stony lift and refreshing acidity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Romantic

Natural Fleurie from Yvon Metras, with the appellation's signature pink granite-driven floral perfume. Zero sulfur and whole-cluster produce remarkable aromatic transparency.

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

Burgundy winemaking precision applied to Fleurie Gamay. Biodynamic farming and old Burgundy foudres produce a mineral, precise Fleurie with genuine terroir expression.

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Romantic

Sunier's Fleurie is a study in Gamay refinement: perfumed and silky with ethereal floral character, minimal intervention and an unusually long, airy finish.

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

Château des Jacques' Fleurie applies Burgundian barrel precision to the appellation's naturally perfumed Gamay: silky, floral and structured, more serious than the typical négociant Fleurie.

Dry · Elegant · Contemplative

Dry · Elegant · Rustic

Dry · Elegant · Rustic

Dry · Elegant · Contemplative

Dry · Bold · Elegant

Dry · Elegant · Contemplative

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

Duboeuf's Fleurie La Madone is sourced from the eponymous chapel-topped hillside: floral, silky and fruit-forward, the négociant's most recognisable expression of the appellation's perfumed character.

Dry · Refreshing · Elegant

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

Historic Fleurie single-vineyard from Les Moriers, one of Chignard's flagship parcels on pink granite. Perfumed, floral and classically structured.

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

Chermette's Fleurie Poncié from the lieu-dit of the same name: a structured, silky expression of the appellation's floral character with Vissoux's whole-cluster precision.

Dry · Rustic · Elegant

Dry · Rustic · Elegant

Dry · Elegant · Rustic

Dry · Contemplative · Elegant

Dry · Bold · Elegant

Dry · Bold · Elegant

Dry · Bold · Elegant

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

Jadot's flagship Moulin-à-Vent from Château des Jacques combines the manganese-rich granite soils with Burgundian barrel-ageing discipline: the resulting wine is Gamay at its most Pinot-like, with real ageing potential and deep mineral structure.

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

Vissoux's Moulin-à-Vent from the Trois Roches lieu-dit: Gamay at its most Pinot-like, with the appellation's distinctive manganese-mineral depth, firm structure and long ageing potential.

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

Named for the golden-limestone colour of the Pierres Dorées hillsides, Roussette is Terres Dorées' richest white: beeswax, ripe peach and hazelnut character from old-barrel Chardonnay on the golden stone terroir.

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Funky

Sunier's natural Régnié: silk-textured, fragrant Gamay with whole-cluster character, wild-berry freshness and minimal-intervention precision.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

White wine of Mouton Rothschild from 7 hectares of sandy-gravelly soils, reviving a historic Medoc tradition. Rich and complex; Sauvignon Blanc provides drive while Semillon adds texture; partial barrel fermentation contributes subtle vanilla without overwhelming fruit.

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

Not a second wine but a distinct cuvée emphasising freshness and fruit intensity over the grand vin's power: Margaux character with more immediate expression, distinguished by its energy and precision.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Bold

The prestige selection of Chateau de la Riviere, sourced exclusively from the estate's oldest Merlot vines in a single 1.5-hectare plot and aged entirely in new French oak. Produced only in the best vintages; a luxury expression of Fronsac terroir.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Single-plot Semillon from 75-year-old vines in a three-hectare block; the house premium white. Dry and elegant with the waxy, textured Semillon character that recalls white Pessac-Leognan at a fraction of the price. Anne Krebiehl MW-praised.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Historically one of the first white wines produced by a Grand Cru Classe in the Medoc. Primarily Sauvignon Blanc driven with Semillon body; partially barrel-fermented but retains freshness through tank-vinified component.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

The second wine of Lafite shares the elegance and lead-pencil signature of the grand vin but with a higher Merlot component lending earlier approachability. Floral aromatic lift distinguishes it from heavier second wines.

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

The second wine of Ausone, sourced from the youngest Cabernet Franc and Merlot vines on the same limestone hillside. Crisp, elegant and distinctively mineral, with a fruity register that opens earlier than the grand vin.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Elegant

Merlot and Cabernet Franc from 27 classified hectares at the foot of Saint-Emilion's slope. Generous, opulent and structured, with dark cherry, violets and cedar complexity; certified organic from the 2021 vintage.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

From just 7 hectares of steep limestone slopes, Ausone is a wine of concentration, precision and mineral tension. Cabernet Franc dominates, giving iron-rich structure, dried-flower fragrance and an extraordinary seamless finish.

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

From 16.5 hectares of ancient underground cellars carved into the limestone of Saint-Emilion's plateau, Beau-Sejour Becot offers silk and velvet textures with floral aromatics, dark fruits and a crushed-stone mineral lift. Recent vintages show increasing use of amphora for freshness.

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

Premier Grand Cru Classe B from the Saint-Emilion limestone plateau. Owned by the Wertheimer family (Chanel), Canon produces Merlot-dominant blends of great classical finesse and ageing capacity, with cedar, mint and graphite precision.

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

Cabernet Franc-dominant Saint-Emilion of silky: violets and graphite on the nose, an opulent yet precise palate of black cherry and tobacco, seamless tannin structure and a finish of uncommon length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Elegant

Saint-Estephe Deuxieme Cru Classe (1855) with an oriental spice and incense aromatic signature seldom found in Pauillac wines. Merlot-rich for Saint-Estephe, delivering suppleness alongside the appellation's characteristic mineral-tannic power.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The most Cabernet-dominant Right Bank premier cru in Bordeaux: near-equal thirds of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classe A in 2022. Combines peony and iris fragrance with electric energy, grainy Cabernet tannin and remarkable mineral length.

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

Merlot-led first-growth Pessac-Leognan red combining cassis and graphite with earthy tobacco and cedar. Velvety tannins and exceptional length set it apart from Medoc peers.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

One of the world's rarest and most sought-after dry whites, Haut-Brion Blanc blends Semillon richness with Sauvignon Blanc precision. White peach, orange blossom, and mineral salinity build to a honeyed, lingering finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Originally sold as Laville Haut-Brion until 2009, this is among the most complex dry whites of Bordeaux. Semillon richness and Sauvignon Blanc freshness fuse with 100% new oak to produce a wine of extraordinary mineral precision and creamy depth.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Festive

Premier Cru Classe Sauternes (1855), with an exceptionally high Semillon content (up to 100% in some vintages) that delivers a concentrated, pure expression of noble rot. Pineapple, candied citrus, honeycomb, and powdered ginger with vivid acidity; the 2013 renaissance under Silvio Denz transformed quality.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The archetype of Pauillac first-growth: Cabernet-dominant, with penetrating lead pencil and cassis aromatics, precise fine-grained tannins, and a finish that evolves over decades.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Unique Pomerol with an equal Cabernet Franc-Merlot split giving a perfumed floral lift and structural precision rarely seen in the appellation. Biodynamic farming since 2014; produced from just 4.5 hectares on the Pomerol plateau.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

A classified Graves white from one of Bordeaux's most historic estates. Sauvignon Blanc leads with fresh pink grapefruit and lime blossom; Semillon adds body and Sauvignon Gris a distinctive floral note. 100% new oak fermentation produces a rich, mineral, long-lived dry white.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Known for its silky texture and unusually high 32% Merlot for a Left Bank estate, Pichon Lalande bridges the power of Pauillac with a suppleness and perfume reminiscent of Margaux. Louis Roederer ownership since 2006 has brought further precision.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Elegant

Pauillac second-growth with an unusually high Cabernet Sauvignon proportion for the appellation. AXA Millesimes' investment since 1987 has lifted consistency dramatically; the 2022 vintage drew especially strong critical praise in bottle.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

One of the most consistent Premier Cru Classe Sauternes, with Rieussec's distinctive high Semillon content yielding a wine of great concentration and rich tropical fruit. Honey-drenched pineapple, orange, mango, and caramel with vibrant acidity and a very long finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

A consistently top-rated Pessac-Leognan white dominated by Sauvignon Blanc with distinctive Sauvignon Gris character. Honeyed grapefruit, crushed stone, and elderflower on the nose; vibrant citrus and mineral freshness on the palate. Frequently earns 95-98 points in recent vintages.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Botrytised sweet Sauternes; the sole Premier Cru Superieur in the 1855 Sauternes classification. Semillon-dominant with intense noble-rot character: beeswax, saffron, apricot, and honey balanced by electric acidity. Ages for decades and improves for 50 or more years in great vintages.

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

The benchmark Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel of Moulis: Cabernet-dominant with dark fruit, pencil lead and licorice, offering genuine structure and ageing potential well beyond its humble classification.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Archetype of refined Saint-Julien: cassis and dark cherry on a bed of Gunzian gravel minerality, with perfectly integrated silky tannins and an exceptionally lengthy finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Timeless Saint-Julien classic: a Cabernet-dominant blend with classic Médoc pencil shavings, licorice and cassis, built for patience with rich powdery tannins.

Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Romantic

The most perfumed of the Médoc first growths: haunting floral aromatics of roses and violets above a core of concentrated cassis, extraordinary saline minerality, and tannins demanding decades of patience.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Classified Third Growth performing at first-growth level: extraordinary richness from an unusually high Merlot proportion, with Thomas Duroux's biodynamic conversion delivering added aromatic complexity and freshness.

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

A revived Fifth Growth finding its stride under the Merlaut family: Cabernet-forward Haut-Médoc structure with dark fruit, cedar and characteristic menthol freshness from deep gravel soils near Saint-Julien.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

A cuvée in its own right rather than a simple second wine: structured Saint-Julien Cabernet with its own distinct terroir personality from western parcels of the estate, offering outstanding value relative to the grand vin.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Premium white Bordeaux from Saint-Estephe (Cos d'Estournel estate), produced from a 10-hectare dedicated white wine parcel. Fresh, vibrant, and barrel-fermented; the Sauvignon Blanc drive and Semillon texture achieve remarkable complexity.

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

Second wine of Chateau Canon (formerly Clos Canon, rebranded Croix Canon from the 2012 vintage). Elegant, medium-bodied with mint, cherry and floral character; structured enough for 10+ years but designed for earlier pleasure.

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

Saint-Julien Deuxieme Cru Classe (1855) in the super-second category: extraordinarily concentrated cassis fruit with near first-growth precision, dense tannins demanding patient cellaring of 15 or more years.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

100% Cabernet Franc from two old-vine parcels aged 65-100 years at the pied de cote. Produced in tiny quantities (5-9 barriques) only in exceptional vintages, this is a monument to the iron-mineral potential of old Cabernet Franc on Saint-Emilion limestone.

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

The second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion, incorporating grapes from younger vines and since 2006 from the former La Tour Haut-Brion vineyard. Shares the Talence gravel terroir; accessible dark fruit with cedar and spice, drinkable earlier than the grand vin.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Festive

The second sweet wine of Lafaurie-Peyraguey, sharing the estate's Bommes terroir and high Semillon content. White peach, apricot, and lemon cream notes lead a direct, energetic palate with mellow sweetness balanced by lively acidity. More accessible in youth than the grand vin.

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

Powerful and silky with aromatic richness; introduces the Borie house style at an accessible level with plush berry fruit and balanced oak spice.

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

The second red of Haut-Brion, renamed from Bahans Haut-Brion in 2007. Merlot-dominated in most vintages with the same Pessac terroir as the grand vin, but more approachable in youth, showing red plum, blueberry, and mineral freshness.

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

The second wine of Cheval Blanc: same terroir and typicity as the grand vin but in a more accessible, forward style. Charming black-fruit and cedar profile, silky tannins, and an earlier drinking window.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend from Cheval Blanc's estate, classified as Bordeaux Blanc since Saint-Emilion AOC prohibits white varieties. Elegant citrus and flint profile with saline length.

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

The official second wine of Léoville-Las Cases since 2007, Merlot-dominant for earlier accessibility while retaining the Saint-Julien precision of the parent estate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Made specifically from younger vines harvested earlier to preserve freshness. Le Petit Mouton shows a younger, more approachable face of the Mouton house style: cassis-driven, with cedar and gentle tobacco, earlier-drinking but still structured.

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

Micro-estate garagiste Pomerol with supremely hedonistic Merlot character: mocha-laced plum and violet aromatics, a voluptuous, fleshy palate, and remarkable concentration from just 400-600 cases per year.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Festive

The second sweet wine of Chateau Rieussec, named after the Carmelite monks who founded the estate. Shares the same high-Semillon blend and botrytised character as the grand vin, with apricot, candied ginger, saffron, and orange blossom in a sweeter, more approachable style.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Second wine of Latour from peripheral L'Enclos plots and younger vines, with a higher Merlot proportion than the grand vin. Retains Latour's mineral iron signature at a fraction of the price.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Elegant

Premium second wine of Pichon Baron introduced with the 2012 vintage. Merlot-dominant versus the Cabernet-heavy grand vin; since 2020, partially aged in amphora to add minerality and texture without excessive oak.

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

Produced from a separate 0.8-hectare crescent parcel with deeper soils, Les Pensees is not a second wine but a distinct expression of the Lafleur terroir. More Merlot-forward than the grand vin, with the same biodynamic farming and iron-mineral character.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

A rare Sauvignon Blanc white Bordeaux of extraordinary mineral precision: gunsmoke, slate and saline drive a taut citrus frame that ages beautifully over a decade or more.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Romantic

Second wine of Chateau Margaux (1855 Premier Cru Classe), sharing the same subtle power and floral finesse as the grand vin while offering earlier accessibility.

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

The second wine of Chateau Figeac, one of the oldest second wines on the Right Bank (first produced 1945). Shares the same Cabernet-influenced gravel terroir and blending trio as the grand vin but from younger vines; lighter, more refined and more accessible earlier.

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

100% Merlot from 11.4 ha of blue clay at Pomerol's centre. Silk-and-velvet texture with truffle, chocolate, and dark cherry at its core; structurally imposing yet hedonistic, with a finish that stretches for minutes.

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

Second wine of Pichon Lalande since 1973. Described by the estate as a true Pauillac brand in its own right. Higher Petit Verdot proportion adds structure and spice; the estate's characteristic silk texture is detectable even at this level.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Pomerol's most Cabernet-Franc-inflected grand vin: 30% Cabernet Franc gives an aromatic lift and structural precision that sets VCC apart from Merlot-dominant peers. Sensuous and silky in great vintages, with decades of ageing potential.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The singular dry white wine of Chateau d'Yquem, made only in years when the estate decides against a botrytised grand vin or in addition to it. Sauvignon Blanc-dominant, barrel-fermented in 50% new oak, offering honeyed citrus, white peach, and mineral depth unique to the Sauternes terroir.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A richer, broader grand cru with citrus, honey and hazelnut over a saline, powerful frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A powerful, saline Batard with citrus, honey and hazelnut over a tightly wound mineral frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A powerful, broad Batard with citrus, honey and hazelnut over a saline, mineral frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A rare white from the Clos des Mouches, rich and saline with citrus, hazelnut and a stony depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A powerful, structured grand cru spanning two soil types, with dark fruit, iron and a firm, mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A powerful, brooding Bonnes-Mares with dark fruit, iron and a firm, ageworthy structure.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A structured, dark-fruited Bonnes-Mares with earth, spice and firm tannins.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A negociant grand cru Chablis, mineral and saline with citrus, white flowers and a stony depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A rich, powerful grand cru from the steepest Bougros slope, with citrus, stone fruit and a saline depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A famous Chablis monopole spanning Vaudesir and Preuses, taut and saline with citrus, white flowers and stony depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Laroche's prestige cuvee from old Blanchots vines, rich and saline with citrus, white flowers and stony depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

The benchmark Chablis grand cru: powerful and saline, with citrus, oyster shell and a long mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

The most collected Chablis grand cru: intensely mineral and saline, with citrus, oyster shell and an endless finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Unoaked Les Clos of pure transparency, intensely mineral and saline with citrus and oyster shell.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A precise, organic Les Clos, mineral and saline with citrus, oyster shell and a stony depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A classic Les Clos with a long history, mineral and saline with citrus, oyster shell and a stony finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A powerful Les Clos, mineral and saline with citrus, oyster shell and a long stony finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A rich yet racy grand cru, with citrus, white flowers and a deep, saline minerality.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Powerful, brooding Chambertin in the Leroy style: concentrated black fruit, spice and a firm mineral spine.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The grand vin of Gevrey: powerful and structured, with dark fruit, spice and a long, mineral, age-worthy frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Biodynamic Chambertin of finesse and energy, with dark berry, spice and a saline, mineral lift.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

More perfumed and aristocratic than Chambertin itself, with rose, dark fruit and a silken, mineral length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Faiveley's flagship grand cru from old Clos de Beze vines, deep and perfumed with dark fruit and fine, firm tannins.

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

A Chambolle-Musigny premier cru bordering Le Musigny: silky and floral, with rose, red fruit and a mineral, sensual finish.

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

A juicy Chassagne red with red cherry, spice and a savoury, earthy frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Ramonet's signature Chassagne cru, mineral and citrussy with white flowers and a saline depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A blend across the Corton hill's red climats, structured and dark with iron, spice and a firm frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Leflaive's flagship grand cru: taut, mineral and citrussy, with white flowers and a saline, persistent finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A precise, mineral grand cru with citrus, white flowers and a saline, tightly wound finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru from Jadot's Les Demoiselles parcel acquired in 1991, intense and saline with citrus, hazelnut and a long, mineral finish.

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

The most delicate Dujac grand cru, all rose, red berry and silk over a fine mineral frame.

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

A finer, more perfumed Ponsot grand cru, with red fruit, spice and a savoury, mineral length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A dense, structured Clos de Vougeot with dark fruit and earthy power in the Leroy idiom.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A rich, generous Clos de Vougeot with dark fruit, spice and a fleshy mid-palate.

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

An elegant, perfumed Clos de Vougeot with red and black fruit and silky tannins.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A dense, structured Clos de Vougeot from the estate's Vosne base, with dark fruit, spice and firm tannins.

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

Whole-cluster Morey grand cru of perfume and spice, with red and black fruit and a savoury, herbal lift.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Ponsot's flagship from very old vines: powerful, savoury and long-lived, with dark fruit, earth and a mineral spine.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A more powerful, structured style from the Corton hill, with dark fruit, iron and firm tannins.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A structured Corton red, with dark fruit, iron, spice and a firm, mineral frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A powerful Corton monopole, dark and structured with iron, spice and an ageworthy frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A powerful, structured grand cru white with citrus, hazelnut and a mineral, ageworthy core.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A powerful, ageworthy grand cru white, with citrus, hazelnut and a saline, mineral core.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Maison Louis Latour (founded 1797) farms around 9 hectares of Corton-Charlemagne: citrus, hazelnut and a long saline core.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A cult grand cru white: flinty and reductive, with citrus, hazelnut, gunflint and a saline, endless finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A precise, mineral grand cru white with citrus, hazelnut and a saline, ageworthy core.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

From a near-monopole holding on the Corton hill, a powerful, ageworthy white with citrus, hazelnut and saline depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A well-priced grand cru white, mineral and fresh with citrus, hazelnut and a saline finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A mineral grand cru white from the Corton hill, with citrus, white flowers and a saline depth.

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

The most approachable DRC grand cru young, with bright red fruit, spice and supple texture.

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

Fragrant and silky Echezeaux with bright red fruit, rose and a fine mineral thread.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant

A grand-cru-quality premier cru: deep, spicy and finely structured, with dark fruit and a long mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant

A deep, structured premier cru widely held to perform at grand cru level, with dark fruit, spice and length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Structured and earthy, with dark cherry, spice and a firm, mineral backbone.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

DRC's other monopole: darker and more muscular than Romanee-Conti, with violet, black fruit and a spiced, savoury core.

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

A cooler, more savoury grand cru, with red and black fruit, herbs and a mineral, lacy finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

A structured Corton red with dark fruit, iron and a firm, savoury palate.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A richer, more exotic Meursault cru, with citrus, honey, ginger and a saline, persistent finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Often called Meursault's grand cru in waiting: mineral and intense, with citrus, hazelnut and a saline depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

The reference Meursault premier cru: intensely flinty and mineral, with citrus, hazelnut and a saline length.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

The grandest of white Burgundies in DRC's hands: honeyed, spiced and powerful, with a saline, near-endless finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

The grandest white Burgundy in Bouchard's hands: powerful and saline, with citrus, honey and a long mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

The white-Burgundy reference at its summit: profound, saline and tightly wound, with citrus, honey and an endless finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

From a sliver of Le Montrachet, profound and saline with citrus, honey and an endless mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

From a tiny parcel, a profound and saline Montrachet with citrus, honey and an endless mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant

Roumier's firm, structured monopole: darker and more tannic young, opening to dark fruit and spice with age.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Biodynamic Musigny of extraordinary perfume and depth, with floral lift over a dense, mineral core.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

From Roumier's roughly 0.1-hectare Musigny parcel: ethereal perfume over a deep, mineral core.

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

A tiny biodynamic Musigny, perfumed and silky with rose, red fruit and a mineral finish.

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

A perfumed, silky Musigny from biodynamic vines, with rose, red fruit and a fine mineral depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The largest owner of Musigny makes its grandest wine from old vines: aristocratic perfume over a profound, mineral core.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant

A more structured Nuits cru, dark-fruited and spicy with firm but ripe tannins.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

A fresh, value premier cru white with citrus, white flowers and a stony, mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant

A dense, age-worthy Pommard monopole, with dark fruit, iron, spice and a firm, savoury frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant

A powerful, dark-fruited Pommard with iron, spice and firm, age-worthy tannins.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Sauzet's signature premier cru, rich yet mineral, with citrus, white flowers and a saline finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant

Leflaive's most refined premier cru, lacy and floral with citrus, white flowers and a saline finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The most opulent and broad-shouldered of the DRC reds, with dense black fruit, spice and a velvety, generous palate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant