Terlan Alto Adige Monticol Riserva Pinot Noir DOC 2019 Red Wine

Terlan Alto Adige Monticol Riserva Pinot Noir DOC 2019

Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

94 pts. James Suckling:

"What a beautiful fragrance this very elegant Alpine pinot noir has! Fine red-berry and dried orange-peel aromas with delicate spice from oak. Wonderful integration of generous body and fine tannins, building gently at the long, structured finish. From vineyards between 500 and 600 meters above sea level. Drink or hold." - 12 May, 2022

You’ve got to hand it to the Italians – they can grow grapes anywhere and the wines will turn out delicious! This Pinot Noir from northern Italy really impressed us; it has that wonderful acidity that Italian wines are famous for, but balanced out with just the right amount of fruit and spice to make it a joy to drink. If you’re a Pinot Noir lover and/or an Italian wine lover, you’ve GOT to try this Pinot! Salute!

WHERE IS THE ALTO ADIGE WINE REGION?

Alto Adige is an alpine valley situated in the northeastern part of Italy bordering Austria and Switzerland, and is well known for its beauty. Also known as South Tyrol, the area is a highly-regarded wine producing region which has recently gained the attention of international wine critics.

The high mountain peaks protect South Tyrol from the Atlantic winds and cold northerlies, while the region benefits from the Mediterranean climate from the south. Terlano has a remarkable microclimate, with pronounced differences in temperature between day and night caused by the cool downslope winds from the mountains.

To the south, a number of mountain massifs like the Adamello also have a protective function. As a result, annual precipitation is only about one-third of the average for the southern Alpine foothills, and the number of hours of sunshine is higher.

FROM THE WINERY:

"This noble Pinot Noir flourishes at medium to high altitudes of 450 – 600 meters above sea-level, where downslope winds have a cooling effect even in the middle of summer. Grown in our vineyards since the middle of the 19th century, the older vines especially produce a well structured and above all elegant Pinot Noir." - Rudi Kofler

Smell: The Pinot Noir presents itself as a multifaceted wine on the nose, where the delicate primary fruit aromas of wild strawberries, raspberry and cherry blend with restrained elegant spicy notes and aromas of flint.

Taste: Well balanced with a mineral elegance that makes it dance on the palate. Wild strawberries, raspberry, spice and flint. This red wine has a long and exciting finish.

SOIL:

The quartz porphyry bedrock is of volcanic origin. The light, sandy-loamy soils are the foundation for naturally limited yields. The soils have a 55-60% quartz content and a slightly acidic pH. The minerally and distinctive wines are highly prized for their outstanding longevity.

VINIFICATION:

Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; destemming followed by slow must fermentation at a controlled temperature and gentle agitation of the must in stainless steel tanks; malolactic fermentation and aging for 12 months partly in big wooden barrels (30%) and partly in barriques using one third new barrels (70%); blending three months before bottling.

Alcohol content: 14,0 % vol.
Residual sugar: 0,6 g/l
Total acidity: 5,3 g/l