Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/859549
88 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 Cantina Terlano 2015 Pinot Bianco, Alto Adige Light, ethereal nose of sweet pear, subtle jasmine and white tea. —Meridith May BANVILLE & JONES Weingut Niklas 2015 Kerner, Alto Adige Peach is sensational on the nose, but tangerine makes it more sensational on the palate; fruit is fresh and clean with lime and minerality. —M. M. OLIVER MCCRUM Manni Nössing 2014 Sass Riais Müller-Thurgau, Alto Adige, Valle Isarco Lemon- driven—lemon juice, lemon rind, lemon pith—topped with crème-fraîche; the high acid offers a simple but refreshing palate. —Allyson Gorsuch KERMIT LYNCH An Unexpected Range of Styles and Varieties from the Alto Adige DOC Tasting notes from Somm Journal Publisher and Editorial Director Meridith May and Deputy Editor Allyson Gorsuch. A rucola and funghi salad finished with Piave, a cheese straight from the Dolomites, paired beauti- fully with the Manni Nössing 2014 Sass Riais Müller- Thurgau and the Alois Lageder 2015 Porer Pinot Grigio, each wine working in a different way. northeast, in much higher elevations and in weathered mica schist soils, tends to focus on whites, particularly Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Riesling and Sylvaner. The poor, infertile soils of Val Venosta, Merano and the Val d'Adige (the area between Bolzano and Merano) demand more careful planning in regard to planting; each region makes both reds and whites. To the west of Bolzano, Oltradige lies near Lake Caldaro (Lake Kaltern in German), and the Schiava wines from these areas may labeled as Lago di Caldaro DOC or Kalterersee DOC, with other grape varieties utilizing the broader Alto Adige DOC. Bassa Atesina lies to the southwest of Bolzano and is the largest and warmest of the unofficial growing regions. Unfamiliar Wines versus a Vast Array of Flavors At the tasting, the eight bottles selected from Alto Adige Wines thoughtfully presented the wide range available from the region—eight different grape varieties from the various grow- ing areas. We tasted the Cantina Terlano 2015 Pinot Bianco and the Weingut Niklas 2015 Kerner alongside the antipasti of white beans alla Toscana with olive oil and saba on crostini, calamari friti with spicy mint aioli, and ricotta stuffed squash blossoms. The subtle spice and delicacy of the Cantina Terlano 2015 Pinot Bianco played with richness of the white beans and the slight sweetness of the saba while the bright fruit of the Weingut Niklas 2015 Kerner complemented the spiced calamari and refreshing mint aioli; the vibrant acidity in both wines cleansed the palate beautifully beside the delightful squash blossoms. Next, we sampled the Manni Nössing 2014 Sass Riais Müller-Thurgau and the Alois Lageder 2015 Porer Pinot Grigio with a rucola and funghi salad finished with Piave, a cheese straight from the Dolomites. The citrus-driven Manni Nössing 2014 Sass Riais Müller-Thurgau brightened the denser flavors of the salad while the Alois Lageder 2015 Porer Pinot Grigio played with it in the exact opposite way, the perfect weight of the wine elevating the richness in the dish. Castelfeder 2015 Von Lehm Gewürztraminer and Erste + Neue 2015 Leuchtenburg Kalterersee Classico Superiore comprised our pairing for four different pizzas—tomato, Sicilian oregano and olive oil; white anchovy, tomato and Fresno chilies; funghi misti, fontina, Taleggio and thyme; fennel sausage, panna, red onions and scallions—and the vast array of flavors could only have been matched by two such versatile wines. Surprisingly, the Castelfeder 2015 Von Lehm Gewürztraminer maintained enough acidity to cut through the rich flavors, with the characteristic spice and fruit character of the variety really soft -