Blatina

Europe is full of wine countries both old and new, but surprisingly many of them are ones no-one knows very little to none of. For example before the last year I would've had no problems pointing out Bosnia-Herzegovina from the map of Europe (it's the country inside the "banana" that is Croatia), but if asked what kinds of wine they produce in Bosnia-Herzegovina, I would've been dumbfounded: "They make wine in Bosnia-Herzegovina?"

Sure they do. The grapevine itself is originally from the Georgian-Armenian region and it came through Turkey to Europe, and as the vines are incapable of teleportation, they had to go through the Balkans to reach Italy, France and Spain, right? So of course they have been growing vines and making wines in the Balkans for thousands of years. If the country is not known for their wines, it does not necessarily mean that they don't make wines there.

Traditionally the wine production of Bosnia-Herzegovina has been centered on small producers making simple wine for local consumption. Only in the recent years there has been a small resurgence of interest on making wine in more commercial style. Though the wines are still mainly consumed locally, the best wines of the country show a lot of promise and potential.

The wine production of Bosnia-Herzegovina is centered on two regions: the more important one is situated in the southern parts of Herzegovina (and Herzegovina, in turn, is the southern half of Bosnia-Herzegovina), with most of the production centered around the city of Mostar. This region is situated very close to the Adriatic sea, only the thin, mountainous strip of Croatia standing between. The lesser wine region is situated in the northern parts of Bosnia.

The most prominent characteristic of Bosnia-Herzegovinan wine is the locals' insistence on using two local varieties: red Blatina and white Žilavka. There are some other varieties grown as well, red Vranac and Alicante Bouschet being two popular ones, but even their plantings are minuscule compared to Blatina and Žilavka. In the past Žilavka was the most popular white variety in the Yugoslavia, but after the collapse of Yugoslavia, it has been found very rarely outside Herzegovina and even then almost always as a minor constituent in wine blends. However, the variety has found its home in Herzegovina, where it is the most planted grape variety. Blatina is similarly encountered mainly in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well, with a few plantings found in Croatia. The biggest problem with Blatina is that it produces only female flowers, so the plants can't self-pollinate themselves – unlike a vast majority of world's vines. Instead, producers need to interplant their vineyards with some other varieties so that the grape flowers become pollinated by the flowers of these other varieties with the help of insects in the spring and they start to produce grapes in the summer. This is why varietal Blatina wines are often not 100% varietal wines, but so-called "field blend" wines with always a little amount of other varieties in the mix. This incapability of self-pollination makes the variety a bit unreliable – if there is no cross-pollination during the period of inflorescence, the producer is left with vines that bear no fruit, only leaves. This is why many producers have started to replant some of their Blatina vineyards with more reliable, international varieties – which is a real shame, because this variety can make really wonderful, bright and focused wines with good identity and lovely freshness, despite them coming from a relatively hot wine region.

Grge Vasilja Carska Blatina 2013

• Cesarica Wine Hotel / Carska Vina (Grgo Vasilj)
• Country: Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Region: Herzegovina, Herzegovina-Neretva, Međugorje
• Grape(s): Blatina (100%?)
• Price: 50 Kn (6,60€) / a glass of 15 cl
• Tasted on: July 24th, 2015

source: ljubuski

My first contact with Bosnia-Herzegovinan red wine. I don't have much background information on the producer, because Google offered me very little help and as my Bosnian is a bit rusty (*ahem*), the few pages that I found were of rather little help. But from what I could gather, is that Grgo Vasilj operates a combined hotel-winery in the village of Međugorje, located a bit southwest from Mostar, the heart of local viticulture. I didn't find any specifications for this wine, so I don't know whether it is a 100% Blatina or a traditional field blend with some other varieties in the mix.

The wine's color is clear but quite dark cherry color that light passes through quite easily.

In the glass the wine offers an intense and slightly wild nose with complex aromas of pronounced peppercorns, smoke, blackberry, ripe dark cherry, some tart red forest berries and a hint of earth. To be frank, this really doesn't feel that unlike a Northern Rhône Syrah.

In the mouth the wine is medium-bodied with medium acidity. The palate exhibits spicy flavors of black pepper, ripe cherries, fresh blackberries, some herbs, a little cranberries and a hint of chocolate – the latter suggesting that the wine has seen a bit of oak. The tannins are very modest, and with only medium acidity, the wine hasn't got that much structure – fortunately the wine isn't a big and bold monster wine, so it never feels dull or ponderous.

The ripe and sweet finish leaves flavors of succulent dark cherries, sour cherries, some pepper and a hint of sweet oak. Towards the end a touch of tannic astringency becomes more noticeable.

All in all, this is an interesting effort, not quite unlike a Crozes-Hermitages, but with sunnier, darker fruit flavors and less pronounced acidity and tannins. It smells and tastes like a cool-climate Syrah, but drinks like a warmer-region one.

87/100

Summary: Nice! This Blatina is a good and tasty wine that is easy to pair with a big range of different dishes. I especially enjoyed that the wine was not obfuscated by oak but the fruit was allowed to shine all the way through. Enjoyable stuff, though nothing special to write home about. My friendship with this variety started with the right foot.

***

Nuić Blatina 2013

• Vinogradi Nuić
• Country: Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Region: Herzegovina, Herzegovina-Neretva, Mostar
• Grape(s): Blatina (85%), Trnjak (10%), Alicante Bouschet (5%)
• Price: 13,00€ / 75 cl
• Tasted on: Oct 29th, 2015

source: vinogradi nuić

This wine comes from the Mostar wine region, where crushed calcareous rocks (or karst) form the soil, giving the wines good setting for growing and producing high-quality fruit. The Nuić winery was founded in 2004 and they started by planting 7 hectares worth of local Blatina, Žilavka, Bena and Krkošija varieties with Croatian Trnjak and Plavac Mali varieties and international Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet varieties. Currently the vineyards span some 35 hectares and now they include Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Touriga Nacional and Croatian Pošip as well. The vineyards are tended as naturally as possible with good emphasis on organic viticulture; instead the wines are made in a modern, state-of-the-art winery built partially underground. All the wines are fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks, where most of the wines are aged as well – only the best wines of the winery are moved into French oak barrels to age.

The wine has a youthful, slightly purple, reddish black appearance.

The bright, youthful and moderately expressive, dark-toned nose is full of aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, sweet plum and chokeberry with some ripe grapey notes and inky and meaty nuances in the background.

In the mouth the wine feels juicy and medium-to-full bodied with nice, mouthwatering acidity and very meager tannins. The palate shows ripe, fruit-forward and a bit grapey flavors of dark forest fruits, some ink, a bit of ripe damsons and a hint of raw gamey meat. There is also lovely, fresh complexity of freshly picked raspberries and toasted spices underneath. Interestingly enough, the wine has soft, smooth and surprisingly sweet overall expression – despite the wine being quite high in acidity and most likely almost-to-completely bone dry, residual sugar-wise. Unfortunately the wine loses some of its freshness and complexity when it gets warmer, so I'd suggest going for rather cool serving temperature.

The wine finishes with pure, juicy and bright aftertaste that leaves very lengthy, sweet flavors of ripe dark berries, black-skinned grapes, some spice, a bit of meatiness and a hint of honey. There is also a hint of tannic grip that gives some welcome roughness to the finish.

Now this was a really positive surprise, even though the Grgo Vasilj's wine was pretty attractive little drop already, setting the bar rather high. Nuić still manages to go a step or two further, resulting in a very lovely, tasty and moreish Blatina with impeccable purity, brightness and drinkability. This is not overtly complex wine (and I'm not sure if Blatina can make such wines), but for an honest, straightforward little red wine this is definitely an overachiever.

89/100

Summary: In my view this wine is not unlike the simpler wines produced by good natural Beaujolais wineries – although stylistically this is a more dark-toned, meatier wine than a good Beaujolais. All in all, Nuić Blatina is a superb everyday wine and I'd love to have some more of these in my fridge ready for some poppin' and pourin'! This "Balkan Bojo" was really a wonderful purchase at 13€.

Moravia Agria

One of the most welcome trends in the world of wine has been the sudden interest on local, indigenous varieties throughout the wine-producing world. Only in these first decade and a half of this millennia the market has been flooded with interesting varietal wines giving an abundance of alternatives to the Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs produced throughout the world.

Countries like Croatia, Georgia, Greece and Turkey are full of varieties practically no-one has ever heard of, which is why I am not surprised whenever I come across a new varietal wine from these countries. However, whenever you think you're familiar with practically all of the commercial wine grape varieties from France or Italy or Spain, somewhere appears a varietal wine made from a variety I've never heard before! These three most important wine-producing countries in the world seem to be endless cornucopias of different varieties where producers can make varietal wines from old, obscure and forgotten grape varieties whenever markets demand a new one. Every now and then you can see how these varieties were forgotten for a perfectly good reason – they can't produce wine of any interesting varietal character – but more often than not, these varieties have been just "poorly understood". This means that in the past, when people didn't know how to cultivate grapevines that they could produce fruit of high quality, these varieties were deemed lower-class ones, capable of producing only fruit for blending purposes. Now, with modern cultivation techniques and better understanding of these plants, producers can actually produce wines of immense character out of these varieties overlooked for centuries.

Moravia Agria, a Spanish variety from Castilla-La Mancha is a perfect example of a case in point. This is a variety that never produces high sugar levels, even in the high temperatures of Castilla-La Mancha, the hot central region of Spain. Instead, this variety tends to retain rather high acidity, even when very ripe – hence the name Moravia Agria, "sour Moravia", to differentiate the variety from Moravia Dulce, "sweet Moravia", which is the local synonym for Marufo (also known as Mourisco Tinto). As the local wine style has been always a heft wine with lots of body, high alcohol and modest acidity, a variety capable of making thin, tannic, low-alcohol red wines with high acidity has never been a popular choice amongst the growers. However, this variety was kept alive because it could moderate the alcohol levels and bring some sense of freshness and structure to the wines when blended with the local favorite, Garnacha.

Moravia Agria is a variety very rarely seen these days; it is cultivated here and there, but often it just gets lost in the wine blends. However, young Juan Antonio Ponce has been the biggest proponent of this forgotten variety – among some other local varieties as well – with his family winery located in Manchuela, "the smaller Mancha", the region located next to Valencia in the eastern extreme of Castilla-La Mancha. Ponce started his wine career at the famous Rioja winery Remelluri, tasked with winemaking and vineyard management. After five years at Remelluri he set up Bodegas y Vinedos Ponce with his father, aiming to highlight local, forgotten or overlooked grape varieties, like Albillo, Bobal and Moravia Agria, with very terroir-driven approach. The vineyards, that have been in their family for generations, are farmed biodynamically and the winemaking follows hands-off-approach with very minimum interventions.

Ponce Buena Pinta 2015

DO Manchuela

• Bodegas y Vinedos Ponce
• Country: Spain
• Region: Castilla-La Mancha, Manchuela
• Grape(s): Moravia Agria (85–90%), Garnacha (15–10%)
• Price: 12,60€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: September 10th, 2016

source: decantalo

Buena Pinta originally started out as a Moravia Agria-Garnacha blend, with almost equal proportions (60/40), but if I have understood correctly, the 2015 vintage is very Moravia Agria-dominant, having only a 10% addition of Garnacha to give some fruit and body to the wine. The grapes are biodynamically farmed and the grapes undergo a partial carbonic maceration and fermentation with natural yeasts as whole bunches (with stems and all that jazz), after which the wine is left to age in old, neutral French oak barrels of 600 liters. After 7 months of aging the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered and released shortly thereafter. The annual production is some 7,000 bottles.

The wine's color is quite dark but thoroughly translucent ruby red with youthful highlights of pale purple.

Upon opening the wine exhibits a lovely, bright and pure berry-driven nose with almost exuberant, juicy aromas of cherry, strawberry, some ripe damson, a little lingonberry tartness, floral hints of rose nuances and a touch of very Rhône-like garrigue nuances of thyme and rosemary. After letting the wine breathe for an hour or two, the nose has gained a lot of weight and gravitas in more rustic tones of saddle leather, dirty stable floor and even faint hints of manure – but only in the most lovely sense. It doesn't take me long to draw some kind of parallels between this wine and the most attractive natural Cru Beaujolais wines.

In the mouth the wine is remarkably light, fresh and vibrant for a Castile-La Mancha red with real crunchy, red fruit-driven flavors of ripe raspberry, strawberry, very pronounced stony minerality and even chalky earthiness, with nuances of some red cherry, smoke and hints of peppery spice lingering underneath. Upon opening there was the slightest sense of carbonic prickle on the tongue, but that blew off almost intantly. With some time, those rustic animal, leather and manure characteristics that were introduced in the nose also join the lineup, only giving the wine even more depth and complexity. The acidity is high, and whereas the tannins have some good, grippy texture to them, they are rather modest and easy on the palate, becoming more pronounced only after several glasses.

The finish is really lively and crunchy with lovely precision and true sense of freshness – even with those lingering leather and stable nuances. Flavors of fresh raspberry, wild strawberry, somewhat tart cranberry, peppery spice and stony minerality linger on for a long time in the aftertaste.

This little Spanish red from an obscure, almost-forgotten variety really took my by a surprise; I had no big expectations of it, but it turned out to be really lovely and interesting an example how these overlooked varieties can sometimes produce really marvelous stuff in the right hands. Not only was this a positive surprise, but also one of the greatest red wines I have had in a while. Enormously attractive an effort!

94/100

Summary: Though often considered as an inferior variety with its low sugar levels, high acidity and pale color, Moravia Agria can also produce really stunning wines exactly because of these qualities. Bodegas Ponce's Buena Pinta is an excellent example how a "poor" grape variety can turn out to be a spectacular one once you start focusing on quality and yield reduction instead of quantity. I truly hope that this wine marks a turning point for this unknown variety.

And if you are interested, I sourced this wine from Decantalo, my favorite online shop for Spanish wines. I recommend you to take a peek.

Vertical of the month: Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2012-1994

Pinot Blanc, that white mutation of the world-famous Pinot Noir, has never had much of attention nor following. And I am not blaming anybody for it – whereas Pinot Noir can mace delicate, immensely attractive and infinitely complex red wines capable of withstand decades of aging, Pinot Blanc normally seems capable of producing only simple, soft and fruity white wines redolent of peaches and ripe apples and never aging further than a handful of years.

However, this is not always the case. For example, the variety seems to thrive in the German region of Rheinhessen, where quality-oriented producers can make remarkable white wines of astounding depth, structure and opulence out of Pinot Blanc – or Weissburgunder (or Weisser Burgunder) as it is known there. But it might just be that there is no other winery making as astounding and ageworthy Pinot Blancs as Cantina Terlano, the small and well-respected co-operative from South Tyrol, Northern Italy.

Pinot Blanc originated from Burgundy as a white mutation of the Pinot Noir – apparently not only once, but several times during the history – but it was often confused with the other local variety, Chardonnay. From Burgundy, the variety first travelled to Alsace and Switzerland, and later on all over the world. Though cultivated in small quantities in a big number of wine-producing countries, Pinot Blanc has found its home especially in Alsace, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Slovakia. In Alsace and Slovakia (where the variety is known as Rulandské Bílé) the variety is normally seen as a simple workhorse variety – mainly for making simple and inexpensive everyday wines. In Germany and Luxembourg many producers have realized the variety's potential, producing more impressive, structured and complex wines than the neighboring Alsace.

But what makes the aforementioned Cantina Terlano so unique is that so often Italian Pinot Bianco (the local synonym for Pinot Blanc) offers nothing of interest: the vines are usually planted in locations poorly suited to the variety, resulting wines that are either thin and neutral (if picked too early) or just simple, fruity and lacking structure (if picked ripe). This is why I was a little hesitant when I was invited to a two-day vertical of Pinot Bianco Vorberg. However, I didn't need much time convincing myself on going, remembering the reputation of winery in question and the few wines I had tasted from them.

Cantina Terlano, or Kellerei Terlan, is a co-operative founded by 24 South-Tyrol winegrowers in 1893. Unlike many other producers in Südtirol / Alto Adige (the local names for the bilingual region), that are often large and quantity-oriented, Cantina Terlano is a relatively small producer with 160 hectares (400 acres) and their main focus is on long-lived quality wines, result of severe reduction of yields, rigorous selection of the healthy grapes and keen winemaking utilizing old, large wooden barrels and extended sur lie aging. The co-op currently has 120 members, which means that the average holding for one grower is a little less than 1,5 ha.

Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva

DOC Südtirol / Alto Adige

• Cantina Terlano / Kelleri Terlan
• Country: Italy
• Region: Trentino - Südtirol / Alto Adige, Alto Adige
• Grape(s): Pinot Bianco (100%)

source: alko

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva (or just plain Pinot Bianco Vorberg until 2001) is one Cantina Terlano's flagship wines and considered to be one of the best (if not the best) Pinot Blanc wines in the world. Vorberg is a region of steep, south-to-southwest-facing vineyards at the altitudes between 450 and 950 meters above the sea level. In these vineyards grow the most concentrated and structured Pinot Bianco grapes of Cantina Terlano and from these grapes they make their spectacular varietal riserva wine. The wines are slowly fermented in old 3,000 liter oak casks, and after the fermentation the wines are left to age on the yeast lees (sur lie aging) in the same barrels for 12 months. The annual production is around 55,000 bottles.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2012

• Tasted on: September 30th, 2015

Pale lime-green color. Cool, alpine and somewhat restrained nose with cool aromas of yellow apple, wet stones and hints of citrus fruit. In the mouth the wine has a lot more weight with goods sense of richness and concentration. Intense flavors of juicy peach, ripe apple, some prickly mineral bitterness and a hint of pineapple. Despite its size the wine feels firm and structured, thanks both to bright minerality and high acidity. Slightly ripe-sweet, medium-length finish with succulent yellow stone fruits, stony minerality and a hint of herbal bitterness.

89/100

Summary: An intense, structured Pinot Blanc with a lot more depth and concentration than its peers from Alsace. However, lacks the complexity and impressiveness the best German Weissburgunders show.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2011

• Tasted on: September 30th, 2015

Pale lime-green color. Ripe, fruity nose showing peach-driven aromas of yellow stone fruits and some honeyed sense of maturity. Rich, lively and full-bodied palate but with surprisingly restrained flavor profile. The taste seems playful, but with fruit in the background and leaving very little on the fore; youthful flavors of apple and vague citrus fruits. With the lack of fruit, the high acidity feels a bit pronounced. Long, vibrant and more nuanced finish with ripe yellow fruit flavors, high acidity, some stony minerality and a hint of salinity.

87/100

Summary: A very restrained example of Vorberg Riserva; this vintage seemed almost austere compared to the rest of the wines. Might be that the wine is just in a dumb phase. A good Pinot Blanc, but nothing really memorable.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2009

• Tasted on September 30th, 2015

A hot vintage. Pale lime-green color with faint lemony yellow highlights. A little restrained, cool nose with aromas of sweet lemony citrus fruits and orange blossom, some vague yellow fruit, a hint of almonds and a whiff of apricot marmalade. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated palate with moderate acidity that seems to grow from underneath the succulent fruit flavors. Intense, opulent flavors of pineapple, ripe peach, some red apple and a hint of bitterness. Despite its opulence, there is definite sense of structure. The finish is as full-bodied and succulent as the midpalate, but along with flavors of sweet apple, peach and apricot, there are more pronounced notes of bitter minerality and herbs.

90/100

Summary: Although this is obviously a very big and ripe, even massive, Pinot Blanc, the 2009 vintage shows good, balanced structure. The wine is starting to show first signs of maturity, but it will definitely hold for years – if not for decades – in a cellar. Shows a lot of promise, but does not offer much else than big body and ripeness at the moment.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2008

• Tasted on September 30th, 2015

Moderately deep yellow-green color showing a hint of age. Very rich, complex and modestly developed nose with layered aromas of sweet, exotic fruits, yellow stone fruits, ripe yellow apple, some dried apricot, honeyed dessert wine nuances and a hint of vanillin. Quite full-bodied, intense and acid-driven – even a bit robust – in the mouth with powerful, concentrated flavors of ripe citrus fruits, wet rock minerality, almost ripe peaches and some green herbal nuances. The wine has impressive, almost tightly-wound structure. Though rich and opulent, the finish is also very powerful and structured with pronounced, long-lingering flavors of apricot, stony minerality, complex spice and some apple purée.

94/100

Summary: Out of the more recent vintages, the 2008 is easily the most impressive effort with a stunning combination of focused power and ripe, opulent fruit. The wine is starting to show some mature complexity, but the emphasis is on ripe, youthful fruit and the wine still has cellaring potential worth a decade or two left in it. Striking.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2007

• Tasted on September 30th, 2015

Medium-deep yellow-green color; a bit lighter than the 2008. The nose is surprisingly dry and restrained in character with aromas of steel, sweet apple, some nuttiness and a hint of bready oxidation – is the wine already past its peak? In the mouth the wine is quite light-bodied and more dry and ripe-sweet, with intense, high-acid structure. Powerful flavors of ripe red apple, peach, some lemon marmalade and hints of apple jam that show some sense of concentration. Long, vibrant and quite dry finish with more emphasis on freshness and acidity than on ripeness and opulence; flavors of citrus fruits, ripe apple, spicy minerality and some mouth-drying sense of astringency in the aftertaste.

91/100

Summary: A lot lighter and more restrained style of Vorberg here with less ripeness and more emphasis on acidity and fresh fruit flavors. Still in pristine condition, although the nose suggested otherwise; however, I'd wager this vintage will not hold as long as the bigger. Wonderful now and still has some room for further development in the cellar.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2005

Tasted on September 30th, 2015

Intense golden yellow color. Ripe and complex, but slightly muted nose with aromas of dried yellow fruits, some dried aromatic herbs, a little smoky nuttiness and a hint of bready oxidation. Full-bodied and moderately concentrated palate with somewhat developed flavors of ripe, succulent pear, dried yellow fruits, some spicy bitterness, sweet tangerine notes and a hint of caramel. Moderately long, lively and complex finish showing both some sweetness and freshness with bright acidity and layered flavors of lemony citrus fruits, lemon marmalade, some wizened apricot and a hint of nuttiness.

93/100

Summary: Really lovely and attractive example of a 10-years old Vorberg that is balancing nicely with some remnants of primary fruit, more concentrated fruit flavors and more developed, non-fruit tertiary notes. This wine is starting to show why one should keep Vorbergs in a cellar for years before opening them; it's just beginning to drink nicely. Will probably develop nicely over some years and will definitely keep at least for another decade.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2004

• Tasted on September 30th, 2015

Deep canary yellow color. Complex, layered bouquet redolent of developed nuances; aromas of old dry wood, powerful mirabelle plum fruit, developed spicy notes, some smoke, nuances of ripe and sweet yellow stone fruits, a little wizened apricot and a whiff of dried flowers. The wine is full in body with quite modest acidity and ample, sweet and developed fruit flavors. Notes of ripe citrus fruits, apricot, yellow plum marmalade, complex floral nuances, some stony minerality, aromatic herbal notes and a touch of lanolin waxiness. With its sense of maturity, silky texture and rather low acidity, the wine feels very smooth and restful in the mouth. The finish is very powerful, opulent and extremely lengthy with layered, intermingling nuances of yellow apple, peach, some stony minerality, a little honeyed florals and a touch of almonds.

92/100

Summary: This Vorberg would easily be one of the most impressive vintages of the 00's, were it not for its rather low acidity, which makes the wine seem rather heavy and a bit flabby. As the wine is showing a remarkable cavalcade of more mature characteristics I can guess that the wine seems to both age and, eventually, deteriorate faster than the more acid-driven vintages. Though this 2004 has still some life left ahead, I suggest it to be drunk sooner rather than later.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2003

• Tasted on: September 30th, 2015

Modestly pale lemon yellow color with fain green highlights. Rich, ripe and succulent nose with intense aromas of apricot, dried peach, some sweet fruit candy aromas and a hint of floral complexity. Full-bodied palate with rather modest acidity and velvety texture. Quite mineral-driven palate with ripe and moderately sweet flavors of red apple, peach, bitter stony minerality, some yellow plum notes and mature, slightly smoky and nutty nuances. The acidity does not really cut through the body that seems to have concentrated with age, but it gives the wine some sense of structure. Vibrant, succulent and very persistent finish with complex, long-lingering nuances of juicy peach, tangerine, ripe red apple, some wet stone minerality and a hint of almond paste.

93/100

Summary: Stylistically very close to the 2004 vintage with rather low acidity and plump body, but the 2003 seems to show a bit more depth, complexity and structure than the 2004. Furthermore, it seems also slightly younger and more balanced, giving it better cellaring potential. No need to hurry with this one.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva 2002

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Deep golden yellow. Ripe, concentrated and developed nose with a plethora of mature nuances: dried pineapple, wizened peach, roasted nuts, some smoke and a hint of caramelized ginger. The nose leads to expect something concentrated and voluminous, but the wine is actually surprisingly light on its feet with medium body at most and high, structured acidity. Surprisingly dry and even crisp flavors for a Vorberg of this age with flavors of mature nuttiness, smoke and some complex spices, quite pronounced, stony minerality, some sweet yellow apple, a little honeydew melon and a hint of florals. Long, mineral finish with dry, refreshing flavors of ripe citrus fruits, tart Granny Smith apple, wet stones, some waxy notes and a hint of honey.

93/100

Summary: A more delicate and lighter expression, like the vintage 2007, but with more depth, complexity and precision. I really enjoyed this one with it refreshing character, even crisp at times, marrying more developed notes with lighter, drier and more acid-driven fruit characteristics. Starting to drink really nicely now, but has years of life still left with potential to kick up its score a notch or two.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 2001

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Deep golden yellow. A bit closed and reticent nose with developed, and even slightly dusty aromas of spicy wildhoney, dried pear slices, walnuts, some ripe green fruits and a hint of hay. Moderately aged and rather full-bodied palate with good, refreshing acidity and complex flavors of honey and spicy wildhoney, stony minerality, tart green apple, roasted nuts, almond paste, some aromatic herbs, hay notes and a hint of oxidative biscuit. Very long, rich and persistent finish with complex, mature flavors spice and wildhoney, yellow plums, some roasted almonds and a hint of hay.

92/100

Summary: A really attractive, fully mature Vorberg that has obviously reached its plateau of maturity and most likely won't keep much longer. Though there is some sense of concentrationg brought by age, the wine is remarkably fresh and structured with a lot of vibrancy and precision. However, the wine won't most likely gain any additional complexity with further cellaring, so I'd suggest drinking up.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 2000

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Medium golden yellow, a bit more pale than the two previous vintages, with faint green highlights. Surprisingly youthful, fruit-forward and refreshing nose with vibrant aromas of yellow stone fruits, honeydew melon, star fruit, some sweet pear marmalade and a hint of developed smoky complexity. Waxy, medium-bodied palate that is all about balance; the flavors are not young anymore, yet the wine doesn't seem to offer any mature characteristics either. The wine is bursting with ripe flavors of mirabelle plums, star fruit, pronounced spiciness, stony minerality, ripe apple, some honey and hints of sweet white peach. Though the acidity is not pronounced, it is still rather high, giving the wine good sense of structure. Finally the wine turns to its very long, spicy and acid-driven finish with ripe fruit flavors of yellow plums and apples, some orange and a hint of star fruit. The only giveaway of the wine's age is the light nutty complexity that appears towards the end of the aftertaste.

94/100

Summary: A superb vintage of Vorberg, that is still barely halfway up – the wine is still so youthful and energetic it's hard to understand it has 15 years under its belt! Probably hitting its stride 5–10 years from now, so it would be a shame opening this now. Lots of room left for further improvement.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 1999

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Rather pale yellow-green color; by its looks, this is something completely different from the previous, golden yellow wines. Quite rich and obviously mature nose with toasty aromas of roasted nuts, smoke, peach, dried pineapple, some orange marmalade, a hint of complex, aged spiciness and a faint, grassy, vegetal note. Surprisingly light, zippy and bright palate with light-to-medium body and pronounced acidity. Almost atypical flavors of green apples, grassy greenness, lemony citrus, walnuts, wet stone minerality, some sweeter notes of nougat and a hint of star fruit. Bright and refreshing finish with almost crisp flavors of green apple, ripe citrus fruits, something green, stony minerality, a little creaminess and a hint of herbal bitterness.

92/100

Summary: One of those lighter vintages of Vorberg with very different aroma- and taste profile from the usual Vorberg style – light in body, high in acidity and faint nuances of grass and other greenish vegetal notes. However, the wine is also really attractive and sophisticated with more youthful palate than what the rather mature nose leads to expect. Still cellarworthy for a good number of years, although drinking nicely already.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 1998

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Concentrated honey yellow color. Very complex, mature nose with layered aromas of yellow plums, pear marmalade, intriguing waxy notes, gummy bears, orange-flavored hard candy, some dried mushroom, a little cream, hints of basil and a whiff of dried straws. Developed dry, medium-bodied palate with dense, concentrated flavors of nuts, yellow apple, hay, some wet stone minerality, notes of dried apricots, a little apple peel bitterness and oxidized nuances of browned apple core and toasty biscuit. Good, refreshing and structured acidity. Quite long, juicy and developed finish with layered nuances of smoke, spicy matured notes, nuts, some bruised apple and hints of tart lemon.

93/100

Summary: This one is definitely peaking now. Very mature characteristics with concentrated palate that seems to have also shed its baby fat – there is no excess ripeness or fruit, but only the linear core with good, structured acidity, balanced minerality and complex, layered tertiary flavors. Not really powerful, but still shows some lovely intensity. Not in need of further cellaring.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 1997

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Medium-deep lemon yellow color with pale green hues. Very restrained and delicate nose showing some developed, autumnal notes of earth, porcini mushrooms and sous bois, with sweeter aromas of pear marmalade and honey beneath. Full-bodied and quite bitter palate with modest-to-low acidity. Concentrated flavors of honey, ripe yellow apple, dried peach and some nutty toasted aromas with very pronounced quinine mineral bitterness. Due to the low acidity the wine comes across a bit flatter than the other vintages. Succulent, ripe and quite long finish with flavors of peach, herbal bitterness, alpine minerality, some citrus fruits and a hint of nuttiness.

91/100

Summary: Another fully mature Vorberg; though the wine still has quite much life left, it has not withstood the age as good as the other vintages. Either the vintage has been a very low-acid one, or the sense of acidity has diminished over time; whatever the case, the wine seems a bit dull and lacking in brightness. Peaking now, better to drink soon.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 1996

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Luminous, greenish pale yellow color. Paradoxically both very mature and surprisingly youthful nose with aromas of smoke, wizened stone fruits, some earthy mushroom notes, a little nuttiness and a hint of leather, with bright aromas of ripe peach, fresh red apple, some pineapple and hints of minty herbs giving an interesting counterpoint. In the mouth the wine is medium-bodied, incredibly youthful, full of vigor and power and almost crisp with its remarkably high acidity. Intense flavors of yellow and green apples, steely minerality, green herbs, sweet citrus fruits, some spiciness and hints of nutty and toasty maturity. Very youthful and vibrant finish with crisp flavors of green apples, dried aromatic herbs, ripe citrus fruits, steely minerality and something grassy, with only faint hints of developed dried fruit character.

95/100

Summary: Boy oh boy! Even at the age of 20, this wine is still a baby! Incredible structure, power and intensity with fruit that hasn't aged at all: this seems to be a white wine that will hold forever. This is like a young Vorberg, only with that depth and sense of concentration a wine gains with age, and without that ripe-fruity baby fat. Really impressive stuff, no point opening this in a while. Probably will develop much more with time.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 1995

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Luminous, medium-deep lemon yellow color with green highlights. Restrained, quite dry and steely nose with an air of coolness; very complex aromas of steely minerality, sweet red apple, mature nuttiness, apricot, a bit of waxiness, some developed dusty and earthy notes, even a bit of pickled mushrooms, nuances of grass and a whiff smoke. Moderately full-bodied, intense and vibrant palate with high acidity giving the wine impressive structure and brightness. Lively, layered flavors of beeswax, yellow apples, mirabelle plums, stony minerality, some cream, a little white peppery spice, hints of almonds and a touch of smoke. Slightly oily mouthfeel, yet very tightly wound and almost nervous structure. Incredibly persistent, complex finish with creamy flavors of mirabelle plums, ripe yellow apples, stony minerality, some nuttiness, hints of honeydew melon and a touch of bitter herbal notes.

96/100

Summary: Simply stunning. Probably the most impressive Vorberg I've ever had. An incredible combination of powerful, even youthful fruit, more developed, nutty notes and remarkable, acid-driven structure. Though the wine exhibits a bit more mature characteristics than the Vorberg 1996, this wine seems also very youthful; not only will this still keep in a cellar for years, even decades, but almost feels like it still needs some years to resolve its tightly wound structure. Might be that in the end the vintage 1996 takes the lead, but now this vintage is showing more beautifully. One of the most spectacular whites I've ever had.

***

Pinot Bianco Vorberg 1994

• Tasted on: June 10th, 2015

Luminous, deep golden yellow – something not unlike an aged dessert wine. Rich, concentrated bouquet with a lot of maturity and opulence. Complex, developed aromas of wizened yellow stone fruits, succulent peachy fruit, toasty, oxidative nuttiness, some creamy notes, a little earthy mushroom, hints of honey and caramel and a whiff of butter. Very rich, full-bodied and almost chewy palate with moderately high acidity and good, steely mineral brightness. Layered flavors of cream, roasted nuts, smoke, mirabelle plums, some bitter herbal notes, a little stony minerality and a hint of dried pineapple. Extremely persistent, intense and complex finish with aged, constantly evolving flavors of smoke, mirabelle plums, vanilla, cream, tangerine, yellow apple, sweet apple jam, steely and stony minerality and a hint of nuttiness.

95/100

Summary: A fantastic example of an aged Vorberg drinking more than beautifully right now. Not as youthful as the two previous vintages, but still full of life; probably won't develop much further, but will keep still for years, easily. One of the best Vorbergs I've tasted. Really lovely.

***

2002–1994

2003–2012

Apparently Vorberg Riservas require prolonged cellaring before they start showing beautifully. When young, they can be really rich, opulent and impressive wines in their own right, but nothing of true interest. At around 10 years of age they start exhibiting first developed notes and around 15 years of age they start shedding their baby fat – they don't appear as full-bodied and opulent as the younger wines, but they still retain their ripe, concentrated fruit and impressive weight. On average it seems that the poorer vintages survive around 10–15 years, better ones easily at least 20, even more. With the best vintages, I have no idea how long they will keep, as the most impressive ones seemed still remarkably young and tightly wound even at 20 years of age. I guess it's safe to declare that the best vintages of Vorberg Riserva are semi-eternal white wines that only gain depth and complexity, but they just don't seem to age.

In a nutshell, Cantina Terlano's Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva is not only the world's best Pinot Blanc white wine, but also one of the most spectacular white wines, no matter the varietal, with aging capability on par with the best dry German Rieslings or white Burgundies. This is truly a white wine to look for.