Any time one brings up Pinot Grigio, there is bound to be some eye-rolling. A lot of wine types consider the varietal the epitome of pedestrian wine. In truth, there are a lot of over-cropped, banal, commercial examples out there that contribute to the varietal’s poor reputation. But all Pinot Grigios are not created equal. There are a number of sensational, indeed world class renditions from a number of sources in Alto Adige, Collio, and the surrounding high country of northeastern Italy. People like Schiopetto, Cantina Terlano, Venica, and Vie de Romains, to name a few, have been doing sensational work for a long time.
If there is an issue, it’s that most of the best examples can reach into the high $20s or $30s price wise. As you slide down the price ladder, the quality starts to erode as well. That’s not too surprising, but we are constantly on the lookout for sources that can deliver quality like the bigger fish but don’t cost as much. It can be a frustrating journey, but it isn’t a pipe dream. There are some interesting examples our there if you are willing to look.
One we have dabbled with in the past, and that turned in an excellent performance in 2021, is Cantina Adriano. The Cantina Adriano Pinot Grigio 2021 performs a lot like one of the big boys, with a captivating nose of fresh grain, white stone fruits, and stony minerality and a surprisingly unctuous, palate coating mouthfeel. Thin and insipid? Not this one! In this particular case, it’s an example of the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Cantina Adriano is produced by Cantina Terlano, arguably one of the highest performers in the region.
It is a vineyard unto itself. The description in Wine Advocate is “Cantina Andriano (Kellerei Andrian) enjoys a unique position at the point where the Val d’Adige (or the main river valley of Alto Adige) opens toward the south. The area is protected from harsher weather from the north by the rocky Mendola Ridge. Apple orchards blanket the valley floor, and grapevines hug the hillsides at the higher elevations.” But the winemaking under the auspices of Terlano is a key ingredient, we suspect, in this wine’s performance.
The purity of the aromatics and the substance to palate are prime components of all things Terlano and, while this wine doesn’t have quite the power and drive of the Terlano version, it is a delicious example of Pinot Grigio that costs less and outperforms anything we have tasted in its price range. It is a super star in its price range ($16.98). Nice notes from the press as well.
From James Suckling, “This has so much youthful energy, Alpine freshness and lovely juiciness that all make it stand out in the pinot grigio crowd! Very good depth and a really focused, long finish complete the very satisfying picture. Drink now…92 points.
From Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner, “In a bottle with a bright yellow capsule, the 2021 Alto Adige Pinot Grigio is fragrant and fresh with pretty fruit, white peach and summer daisy. The wine is very pleasurable to drink and silky to the palate with tart citrusy notes. Production is an abundant 70,000 bottles, and you get great value…91 points.”