Cellar candidate in Alto Adige

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 · 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 · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative

Dark ruby with purple highlights Lagrein Gries Riserva: intense dark-fruit, violet and black-pepper aromatics; punchy palate carried by fresh acidity and firm tannins, very coherent.

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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Contemplative

Kristan Riserva, Egger-Ramer's noble Mediterranean Lagrein crowning glory from the Kristan vineyard: concentrated dark-fruit and violet, structured palate from extended barrique ageing.

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 · Bold · Contemplative

Dense purplish-red Lagrein Riserva from 24 months in mixed barrique-tonneau-cask: cassis, plum and blackberry with nutmeg and white pepper oak; supple tannins and animated acidity, chocolate and coffee mid-palate, raspberry-blackberry-orange-zest finish.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

Lamarein is the flagship Lagrein of Erbhof Unterganzner, the Mayr family's historic farm in Cardano-Cornaiano. The cuvée anchors the cellar's IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti range.

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 · 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 · 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 · 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

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

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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Contemplative

Deep garnet Lagrein-dominant cuvee from 50-year-old vines in the Bolzano basin: ripe berry fruit with pepper, clove and graphite, complex barrique-and-concrete raising for 27 months total.

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.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Contemplative

Trigon is Hans Rottensteiner's barrique-aged Lagrein Gries Riserva from selected Bolzano vineyards, in the Cru tier of the cellar.

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

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

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

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

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Contemplative

Concentrated, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon-led Riserva with a small Merlot component: intense blackcurrant, elderberry and blackberry aromatics, complexity that develops further through extended bottle ageing.