2023 Terlano - Alto Adige DOC Vorberg Pinot Bianco Riserva (750ml)

Founded in 1893, Cantina Terlano is one of Italy’s benchmark white wine producers, and Vorberg is its signature: widely considered one of the world’s great Pinot Biancos. The grapes come from steep, south and southwest-facing slopes at 450 to 650 meters, rooted in volcanic quartz porphyry that soaks up the day’s heat and forces the vines to dig deep. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters, slowly fermented in big 70 and 30 hectoliter oak casks, then aged 12 months on the fine lees. The result is all texture and minerality, not oak. The previous vintage landed at #8 on James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of 2024, and the 2023 is right there with it. Ripe pear, green apple, white flowers and a hint of almond, with citrus and stone fruit on a creamy yet vibrant palate and a long, saline finish. Gorgeous now and built to age a decade or more. Pair with roast chicken, veal, risotto or seared scallops.