Robert Parker – The Wine Advocate

Robert Parkers Wine Advocate rating – July 2017:

92   points  |  AU Chardonnay Riserva 2014
Thickly textured and rich, the 2014 Alto Adige Chardonnay Vigna Au is an oakdriven white wine with pronounced aromas of dried apricot, spice, toast and vanilla custard. The wine is richly endowed and shows a long, creamy finish. This is a beautifully made Chardonnay with much of the freshness and zest you can expect from a high altitude, mountain wine. After sur lies aging, the wine spends another year in the bottle before it is released. Bottle production is only 3,000 strong.

91   points  |  RACHTL Sauvignon Riserva 2014
I am delighted by this new discovery from Tiefenbrunner. The 2014 Alto Adige Sauvignon Blanc Rachtl is bright and aromatic. It meets the needs and desires of any hardcore lover of Sauvignon Blanc. This all-italian expression offers bright purity with aromas of lime, exotic fruit and green apple. The mouthfeel is streamlined and tight, but all the action is on the bouquet, as you should expect. However, the wine’s natural structure does not go overlooked. Fermentation in oak helps to solidify its textural richness.

90  points  |  TURMHOF Pinot Nero 2015
Packaged in a screw cap bottle, the 2015 Alto Adige Pinot Nero Turmhof is the essence of elegance and varietal purity. The wine opens to a luminous ruby appearance followed by bright aromas of wild berry, blueberry, violets and forest floor. It shows intensity and a level of broad appeal that goes beyond what you may expect of Italian Pinot Nero. Sweet cherry and dried blueberries flavors fill in the rear. The level of ripeness achieved is higher than average, but this thicker taste profile suits it well.

88  points  |  FELDMARSCHALL VON FENNER Müller-Thurgau 2015
Packaged in a screw cap bottle, the 2015 Alto Adige Müller Thurgau Feldmarschall Von Fenner is a crystal clear and translucent wine that captures the ambient light with brilliance. I noticed a touch of reduction that does not fully blow off. I had the same impression with the 2013 vintage. There is vibrant fruit below with peach and cantaloupe melon, but it takes a while
before the wine begins to show its aromatic purity. Grapes are picked from a soaring vineyard site located 1,000 meters above sea level.

88  points  |  TURMHOF Lagrein  2015
Here’s a popular drinking choice among the many fortunate people who reside in Alto Adige. The 2015 Alto Adige Lagrein Turmhof is a homegrown wine in all possible senses. Its robust and fruit-forward taste profile recalls the school of red wine that was traditionally made in the mountainous north of Italy. The effect is slightly raw and rustic, and the wine bursts forward with dark fruit, sweet plum and dried blackberry. The finish is succulence and almost sweet in flavors.