Alto Adige is one of the crown jewels of the Italian wine scene, where the connection between winemaker, land, and grape variety is expressed through a range of high-quality wines, as demonstrated once again this year by the awarded labels—24 wines that either won or reached the finals—featured in the Vini d’Italia 2025 guide by Gambero Rosso. The Award for the Best White Wine of the Year, one of the Special Awards, was assigned to a superb wine from the region, Gran Lafóa ‘21 from Cantina Colterenzio, a Sauvignon that excites the senses and passion. It’s a selection from the most suited vineyard plot for the variety, located at 450 metres of altitude, gifting us a powerful, intensely flavoured, and yet extraordinarily elegant white wine.
The Alto Adige Vineyard: the many faces of the territory
The Alto Adige vineyard covers just a few thousand hectares in the province of Bolzano, spread across the hillsides rising along the courses of the Adige and Isarco rivers. What this description fails to convey is the enormous territorial variability, ranging from 220 metres in the valley floor to over 1,000 metres in the Bassa Atesina and Renon areas. Here, limestone, silt, and porphyry alternate, with vineyard exposures spanning 360°. The territory’s incredible ampelographic richness and the extreme vineyard fragmentation, with thousands of families interpreting both the land and the harvests, are also remarkable.
In Alto Adige today, wineries no longer grow every variety permitted by the denomination but instead focus on those with a strong connection to the territory. This ranges from vintners who vinify grapes from their small, personally owned plots to large cooperative structures and historic provincial estates, which work alongside small growers who supply their grapes to the cellars. What never changes, however, is the care devoted to vineyard management and the attention to all cellar operations aimed at producing wines that express the brilliance of this territory.
The best Sauvignon wines from Alto Adige awarded with Tre Bicchieri and Due Bicchieri Rossi
Here, we highlight the best Sauvignon wines from Alto Adige, including three labels from the Terlano subzone. These wines received the top recognition in the Vini d’Italia 2025 guide by Gambero Rosso or at least reached the finals.
The new Gran Lafóa ‘21 from Cantina Colterenzio, awarded as the White Wine of the Year in the Vini d’Italia 2025 guide, is a pure Sauvignon that exhibits great elegance on the nose, where white fruit perfectly merges with hints of oak maturation, enhanced by delicate floral and spicy notes. On the palate, it is juicy, incredibly long, and finishes with a lovely note of peach.
The Colterenzio cooperative can rely on the invaluable work of around 300 winegrowers, most of whom manage small vineyard plots in the areas closest to the winery: Colterenzio, Cornaiano, and Appiano. The vineyard platform is further complemented by smaller plots around the provincial capital and Salorno, near the border with neighbouring Trentino. Martin Lemayr is entrusted with the task of transforming these harvests into wines of great depth—a task performed to perfection, as evidenced by the tasting of all the labels presented this year.
- A. A. Sauvignon Gran Lafóa Ris. 2021 - Cantina Colterenzio
- A. A. Sauvignon Lafóa 2022 - Cantina Colterenzio
The Sauvignon Renaissance ‘21 offers an aromatic profile shaped by the excellent harvest, featuring crisp fruit intertwined with floral notes, leaving a subtle memory of oak in the background. On the palate, its savouriness and tension stand out, delivering a long, classy sip. The Sauvignon Praesulis ‘22, on the other hand, plays more on varietal freshness and drinking immediacy, winning over with its harmony.
Although the Prackwieser family has been dedicated to vine cultivation for generations, it is with Markus’s involvement that the winery takes on the shape we know today. The vineyards stretch along the eastern slope of the lower Isarco Valley, from 400 metres, dedicated to grape varieties that require more warmth, up to 800 metres, where they are constantly caressed by the Ora breezes in the afternoon and those descending from the Sciliar at night. Few grape varieties are cultivated, resulting in a production without any weak points.
- A. A. Sauvignon Renaissance Ris. 2021 - Gump Hof - Markus Prackwieser
- A. A. Sauvignon Praesulis 2022 - Gump Hof Markus Prackwieser
The Sauvignon Sàcalis '21 excels as a Riserva with a broad aromatic spectrum, debuting with a smoky note that gives way to white fruit, flowers, and an intriguing hint of sulphur. The palate is dry, defined by tension and savouriness. The Sauvignon Praesulis '22, on the other hand, focuses more on varietal freshness and drinking immediacy, winning admiration for its harmony.
Christian Plattner’s winery is situated on the hills encircling the city of Bolzano, towards the Isarco Valley. These sun-kissed slopes, caressed by alpine breezes, have always been the cradle of Schiava, while just a little further down lies the home of Lagrein. Over the years, the vineyard platform has expanded to include the Oltradige area, where the Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon vineyards are located. Known and appreciated primarily for its reds, the winery also offers a range of exceptional whites year after year.
The Sauvignon Mantele '22 is appreciated for its agility and length. Often, cooperatives feel the need to unite their strengths after decades of autonomy, creating larger entities.
The uniqueness of the Nals Margreid winery lies in its integration of two very distant territories: Nalles and Magrè, at the extreme south of the province. This allows Harald Schraffl and his technical team to work with grapes that ripen under very different conditions, bringing character and originality to their wines. The production from Via Heiligenberg offers a flawless range, alternating between interpretations closely tied to the grape variety and those that emphasise the connection between variety and territory.
The Sauvignon Mathias '22 teases with exotic fruit and sulphurous notes before delivering a refined palate with remarkable length.
The Pfitscher family winery is perfectly nestled among the vineyards in the Montagna area, where Pinot Noir has found one of its preferred territories. The vineyards stretch over many hectares along both sides of the valley, alternating between warm, sunny areas and cooler, breezy ones. This allows for a production where each grape variety is grown in its most suitable location. The role of the Burgundian red variety is becoming increasingly central to the Pfitscher estate, with several labels exploring its connection to the area's vineyards.
The Sauvignon Greel '22 from Cantina Bozen is a complex and harmonious masterpiece. The Bolzano cooperative is one of the province's most significant entities, supported by a small army of members cultivating over 300 hectares of vineyards. These range from the valley floor at 200 metres to the 1000-metre heights of Renon. Each grape variety is planted in its ideal location, leveraging not only altitude but also varying soil compositions, resulting in a production that combines richness and elegance.
The Sauvignon Stein '22 by Eichenstein begins with an intense exotic and floral note that unfolds on the palate, revealing savouriness and a progressing sip.
Josef Waldner's winery is beautifully situated on a vast terrace overlooking the Adige Valley, surrounded by its vineyards and a dense forest that isolates the property. Most of the vineyard platform extends at 550 metres above sea level, complemented by historic vineyards in the valley floor near Marlengo. In the cellar, young oenologist Martin Pollinger crafts a select range of exceptional labels.
The Sauvignon Vigna Rachtl '21 intrigues with its intense and multifaceted aromas, leading to a juicy and lengthy palate. The Bassa Atesina area borders the Trento province but boasts vineyards that rise from the valley floor at 220 metres to steep slopes exceeding 1000 metres.
Here, the Tiefenbrunner family has worked for generations, relying on a substantial vineyard platform complemented by partnerships with numerous local growers. Their production demonstrates unwavering quality.
The comparison between Manincor's two Sauvignon '22s is fascinating. On one hand, the Tannenberg focuses on aromatic intensity and dynamic sipping, while on the other, the Lieben Aich offers more subtle and profound aromas, revealing a sip of great elegance and consistency. The agricultural landscape of Bolzano province is characterised by extremely fragmented ownership, with many estates cultivating less than one hectare each.
The Goëss Enzenberg family estate is a remarkable exception. This splendid winery oversees an extensive vineyard platform stretching from the shores of Lake Caldaro to Terlano and the hills overlooking Merano.
The Quarz '22 is the quintessential Sauvignon, blending richness and elegance, with this year's sip marked by pronounced savouriness.
Among the wineries that have played a pivotal role in spreading the quality of Alto Adige wines worldwide in recent decades, the cooperative led by Rudi Kofler stands out. Nearly 200 hectares of vineyards explore the calcareous terrain of Andriano and the red slopes of Terlano, where porphyry dominates. These are meticulously tended by a dedicated group of members and enhanced in the cellar by the efforts of Rudi and his team.
opening picture credits Benjamin Pfitscher
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