Cantina di Terlano Pinot Bianco Riserva "Vorberg" DOC 2021
(Trentino Alto Adige, Italy) - [JS 99] [WE 95] [VM 94] [WS 92]

About the Winery:
Founded in 1893, the Cantina Terlano winery is now one of the leading wine growers’ cooperatives in South Tyrol, with a current membership of 143 growers working a total area of 190 hectares. That is the equivalent of some 1.5 million bottles of wine a year. We and our members have long had a strong focus on quality. That has attracted praise and recognition on the Italian and international wine markets, and in spite of its relatively small size, Cantina Terlano is now well established in the world of wine.

Tasting Notes:
Smell: The multifaceted aroma of this wine derives from a combination of ripe fruit, including honeydew melon, white peach, pear and Golden Delicious apple, together with the aromas of quince jelly, camomile and pineapple, on the one hand, and mineral notes of flint on the other.
Taste: The interplay of fruity aromatic and salty components is repeated on the palate. The compact structure and  elegant creamy elements create a lingering, firmly minerally and spicy character on the aftertaste.

Vinification: Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; gentle whole cluster pressing and clarification of the must by natural sedimentation; slow fermentation at a controlled temperature in big oak barrels (70 + 30 hl); malolactic fermentation and aging on the lees in traditional wooden barrels for 12 months.

Soils:

~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.
Soil samples taken from three different sites have revealed the presence of a subvolcanic body around Terlano, which differs in composition from the classic volcanic rock. The skeletal sandy loamy soils have a high quartz content. The absence of calcium carbonate explains the slightly acid pH values. These factors result in a high permeability to water, a limited nutrient supply and thus balanced growth with naturally limited yields. Exceptional soil conditions influence the terroir of Terlano, where the vines have developed a specific reaction to micro-stress and produce their own terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the Terlano wines their distinctive character. The result is particularly salty wines with great tension and depth. The special mix of crystals and minerals in the Terlano soils produces white wines whose unique longevity never fails to impress the world’s wine gurus.

Winemaker Notes:
"The south-facing slopes of Monzoccolo in the Terlano DOC area are the location of steep and sunny vineyards at altitudes between 450 and 650 meters above sea-level, where a very exciting Pinot Bianco flourishes. This rich and highly complex wine is impressive for its minerality and considerable capacity for development and thus underscores the full potential of this grape variety.”
Rudi Kofler

99 Points - James Suckling:
"Restrained apricot peel, fairly neutral yet classy, but with a floral bouquet that opens up. The attack is full and impressively vibrant, almost electric, with filigreed elegance and a silky, weighted palate. Long and polished. This is incredible. Drink now or hold to achieve greater complexity." (Apr 2024)

95 Points & Cellar Selection - Wine Enthusiast:
"Vorberg is one of the world's great Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blancs) and opens with a fragrant aroma of ripe pear, green apple, and hints of almond. On the palate, it is vibrant with an interplay of citrus and stone fruit, carried by a refreshing acidity. The wine culminates in a textured finish that spans across cuisines. Drink now-2040." - Jeff Porter (May 2024) 

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2021 Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg is youthfully coiled, as an airy blend of wild herbs and dried flowers gives way to young peach and apricot. This is seamlessly silky and serene on the palate, nearly oily in feel, with brisk acidity to balance and depths of ripe orchard fruits and mineral tones that saturate. The balance is perfect, lightly tannic and full of tension with a lemony concentration that puckers the cheeks as minty herbal tones fade. Green apple notes add a crunchy sensation toward the close. This fantastic rendition of Vorberg will thrive in a cold cellar." - Eric Guido (Mar 2024)

92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"An elegant, fine-knit white, with density to the layers of yellow plum, melon rind, chamomile and lemon wax flavors. Offering a lightly chalky texture and mouthwatering acidity, this is long and supple, with grapefruit zest, milled pink peppercorn and mineral hints on the finish. Drink now through 2031. 6,500 cases made, 700 cases imported." - Alison Napjus (May 2024)