Aged cheese in Alto Adige

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

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

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

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

Dry · 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 · 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 · 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.

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 · 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 · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

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

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

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

Dry · 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 · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Fruity

Intense ruby St. Magdalener blend from the Santa Maddalena slopes above Bolzano at 250 to 500 m: violet and rose aromatics over red cherry and raspberry, full and smooth with marzipan signature on the finish.

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 · Low tannin · High acidity · Funky · Savoury

Tenuta Lieselehof's experimental orange (skin-contact white) wine from disease-resistant Piwi varieties (Souvignier Gris, Bronner). Among the cellar's distinctive Excellence Collection bottlings; demonstrates the natural-leaning, low-intervention philosophy on the estate's 5 organic hectares.

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 · 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 · 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 · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

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

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

Cardano Lagrein Riserva from Erbhof Unterganzner: dark-berry and violet aromatics with spice complexity, structured full-bodied palate from barrique and large-cask ageing.

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

Powerful dark red Lagrein Riserva from old vines: intense berry aromatics, full body, raised in small and large oak for 12-18 months with annual production of 3,000 to 4,000 bottles.

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 · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

Monastery-vineyard Lagrein from Gries-Moritzing: ripe berry and cherry with tobacco, leather and forest-floor spice; convincing structure with integrated acidity and firm tannins, finishing with considerable length.

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 · 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

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 · 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 · Savoury

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

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

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

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Easygoing

Morit Santa Maddalena from Loacker Schwarhof's biodynamic Bolzano vineyards: red cherry, violet and almond aromatics in the traditional Schiava-Lagrein blend, smooth and fruity palate from a biodynamic-organic vineyard programme.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dry · 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 · 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 · 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 · Light-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Rustic

Bright ruby Meranese Schiava from Marlengo at 400-450 m on humus and loamy sand: violet and almond bouquet, elegant and soft on the palate with balanced fruit acidity and a balanced finish.

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

Bolzano-Gries Lagrein from 30-year-old vines across three vineyards: splendid violet, chocolate, licorice and berry aromas with tobacco emerging in age; smooth velvety tannins, fruity character preserved by careful barrique work.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lagrein Riserva from Glogglhof's best Lagrein vineyard on Bolzano soils: dark-berry and violet aromatics with elegance and complexity, structured palate from barrique-and-cask ageing.

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

Old-vine Sylvaner from vines over 40 years old in the upper Valle Isarco: a smoky note paired with scents of exotic fruits and pronounced minerality from eight months of oak vinification.

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 · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Contemplative

Taber was launched in 1991 as Cantina Bolzano's flagship Lagrein, drawn from 80-year-old vines in Gries-Moritzing. The cuvée demonstrated that Lagrein could carry extended ageing in French barrique.

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 · 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 · 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.