In the foothills of the Alps near Italy’s border with Austria, we find the delicious confluence of classic French varieties, Italian boldness, and Austrian precision. Fashioned from a century-old blend of Pinot Blanc (60%), Chardonnay (30%), and Sauvignon Blanc, the Cantina Terlano’s Terlaner opens with a lemon-gold color and resinous aromas of Golden Delicious apples, white peaches, pineapple, lemon balm, matcha green tea, mint, and smoky limestone soil. The Terlaner cuvée conveys impressive breadth and texture, refreshingly fusing Pinot Blanc’s structure and smokiness with Chardonnay’s richness and Sauvignon Blanc’s unbridled herbal nature. Fresh and pure as the Alpine air from which it emerges, the Terlaner graces the palate with nuances of fresh white meadow flowers, crystalline apple, peach and passion fruit, pine nuts, and a bracing spine of smoky, mineral-driven acidity. The wine finishes as clean and complex as it started and will surely wow fans of Alsatian Pinot Blanc, Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Pouilly-Fumé and other racy, incisive white wines. Enjoy now and over the next three to ten years with fresh goat cheeses, brook trout, light pork sausages, roast turkey, asparagus, green vegetable frittata, and myriad seafood.
James Suckling: 93 points
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: 92+ points
