Possibly Italy’s Greatest White Wine. Terlan’s ‘Vorberg’

One of Italy’s Greatest White Wines

Yes, I know it’s Pinot Blanc. Champagne’s dirty little secret. The ‘other’ white grape of Alto Adige after Pinot Grigio. But in certain instances, in certain locations, this grape can really sing. Vorberg is the name of a single vineyard high up on the slopes of the Dolomites. If you’ve ever been to the area, you will see grape vines and apple trees all along the valley floor, and forests on the mountains. Traditionally, agriculture was all done on the valley floor, and in some instances the local serf population (illegally) planted vineyards on the mountainsides because the lords didn’t think that anything worthwhile would grow there. Cantina Terlano has acquired a few of these ancient vineyards, one of which is Vorberg.

Planted on a slope steep enough that vineyard workers need guideropes and a safety harness to work the vines, this ancient vineyard has been planted to Pinot Blanc since time immemorial. At over 1000 feet of elevation, this may be the greatest vineyard example of Pinot Bianco I have ever come across. I will admit that I have a bit of an emotional connection to it, having sat for lunch in the vineyards with a bottle of 1974 Vorberg, courtesy of Klaus, who runs the co-op. But this just goes to show the quality—at forty years of age, the wine was still singing.

This is one of the greatest white wines that Italy produces. Very lightly oaked with huge, old barrels and aged on the lees for at least a year, this wine will surprise and delight many skeptics. I carried this in several restaurants, and often offered to drink the bottle myself if I offered it to a guest and they didn’t love it. I don’t think I was ever able to drink a single bottle.

Full of saline minerality, orchard fruit and citrus peel, the broad texture is brought into balance by laser focused acidity. On the nose, this drips aromas of quince jelly, chamomile and pineapple, on the one hand, and mineral notes of flint on the other. Consistently scored 95+ points, this is still one of Italy’s greatest secrets. I’ve loved this wine for years, and we finally have enough available to offer out. Please grab some, drink some now, and cellar the rest for a decade. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

96 Points, Decanter
An abundance of zippy primary fruit embellished by a squeeze of lemon and lime juice which oozes onto the palate and enlivens the smart oak frame.