Alois Lageder, Porer Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Italy 2021

“A distinctive white, with subtle chamomile, almond skin and smoke aromas on the nose. Fresh on the palate, with a salty underpinning, this has an almost tissue-weight texture, while still carrying a fine range of steeped raspberry, dried mint, singed orange peel and spices. Intriguing. Drink now.”-90WS

The ‘Porer’ is made up of 100% Pinot Grigio hailing from select parcels in Magrè, upon vines that range in age between 10-30 growing on stony, sandy soils at roughly 240 meters above sea level. This bottling is a ‘winemakers wine’ and a representation of the joys in experiments when it comes to vinification. After harvest, part of the grapes undergo classic vinification, part are left on their skins for roughly 15 hours and see extended time on their lees, and the final part undergoes whole cluster vinification and are left on their stems and skin for about a year. The grapes are crushed softly and undergo spontaneous fermentation of which roughly 20% was in wooden cask and the remainder in stainless steel.

Aromatically the wine is bold, lifting from the glass with notes of roasted nuts, beeswax, dried herbs, and juicy orchard fruits. On the palate, the wine is savory, with salty minerality, fresh apples, and a lingering acid that enhances the wine’s liveliness.