As noted during tastings for the Gambero Rosso 2024 Italian Wines guide, in a world like wine where nothing repeats exactly year after year, the production landscape of the province of Bolzano stands out for the awareness with which producers are tackling new challenges. These challenges include not only climate change and market volatility but also land management, developing its potential, and shifting from meeting customer demands to enhancing the connection between various grape varieties and their best-suited exposures.
This renewed awareness has led smaller companies to specialize in the vocations of their vineyards, as perfectly demonstrated by urban wineries or more remote realities in the Isarco Valley, where varieties like Sylvaner or Kerner take center stage. Similarly, cooperative structures reserve their best selections for varieties that best adapt to their territory.
Here, we concentrate on the best wines made from the Pinot Grigio grape. Originally from Burgundy, Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) is a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir and has been cultivated in Italy for decades, particularly in some northern regions. This grape, almost a red in appearance but actually a white, is often vinified in contact with its skins, giving it a characteristic "coppery" color. In Collio and the Eastern Hills of Friuli, it produces wines with great richness, while in Alto Adige, its higher acidity makes it more long-lasting. Fruity, aromatic, and structured whites have followed in its wake. Pinot Grigio is also widespread in Alsace, Germany, and Hungary, where it is called Rülander and Szürkebarát, respectively.
The best Pinot Grigios from Alto Adige
Here are the Pinot Grigios from Alto Adige that received the Three Glasses or Two Red Glasses awards during last year's tastings for the guide.
Pinot Grigio Giatl '20 by Peter Zemmer, this Reserve wine showcases intense suggestions of ripe yellow fruit, with pear in the foreground, notes of Mediterranean scrub, smoky hints, and sulfur nuances. On the palate, it's full, mature, and significant, with non-evident acidity that ensures tension and dynamism. Peter Zemmer runs the family business in the Bassa Atesina area, with vineyards extending not only in the valley near the winery but also exploring the eastern and western slopes of the region.
Pinot Grigio Impronta del Fondatore by Santa Margherita, from selected grapes in Alto Adige, this wine offers intense notes of yellow fruit, dried flowers, and a subtle smoky note that also appears on the palate, managing the characteristic richness of the variety with tension and sapidity. Santa Margherita perfectly interprets the role of innovation, presence on the territory, and unwavering commitment to sustainability.
Pinot Grigio '21 Sanct Valentin by Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano, rich, full, and satisfying, this wine comes from a cooperative founded by 27 winegrowers. Today, it counts 330 families caring for nearly 400 hectares of vineyards. Under the guidance of Hans Terzer, the winery produces a wide range of labels, from simple and immediate wines to those deeply connected to the territory.
Unterebner '21 by Cantina Tramin, rich and harmonious, this wine comes from a cooperative born from the merger of the historic Termeno and Egna cooperatives. Today, 160 families cultivate vineyards in the Bassa Atesina area, with each variety planted in its optimal location.
Pinot Grigio Maso Reiner by Kettmeir, with rare aromatic depth and a rich, gritty palate, this wine comes from vineyards around Mezzocorona, offering a terrace view over Lake Caldaro. The winery has been renovated over the years and is equipped with the necessary technology to produce great wines and sparkling wines.
Pinot Grigio '21 by Garlider Christian Kerschbaumer, featuring a pronounced mineral-sulfur note with ripe pear and herbaceous hints, this wine is rich, bold, and unexpectedly gritty. Christian Kerschbaumer, along with his wife Veronika, manages vineyards that climb the slopes towards the sky, capturing the area's brightness and freshness.
These wines highlight the best of Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige, each expressing the unique character of its terroir.
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