In the area of Terlano wine was produced at least in the 6th century B.C. as it dates back to that time a characteristic billhook for the vine pruning, very similar to those still used in those areas, in the subzone “Siebenheich/Settequerce” (= seven oaks). On the other hand, that this was a particularly well-suited area, was also known by the large landowners who held the monopoly in the 19th century Precisely to escape this monopoly, a group of 24 small winegrowers founded, in 1893, the Cantina Sociale di Terlano, a reality that has expanded including 143 members, who cultivate 190 hectares of vineyards, with the help of wine maker Rudi Kofler, and the supervision of President Georg Eyrl.
At the beginning, one of the first decisions taken by the winery against the trend was to characterize the production line with a massive presence of white wines (about 70%), while in South Tyrol at the end of the 19th century about 80% of production was made of red wines. Another characteristic of the winery was, right from the start, the choice to vinify long-lived wines, made possible thanks to the long periods of aging on the fine lees that gave it greater character and complexity. This longevity comes from the composition of the lands in which the lean and draining soil, and the quartz skeleton of volcanic origin, determine pH values more acidic than normal, yields for plant naturally lower, and great polyphenolic richness.
To enhance the particular soil and climate conditions just mentioned, the “Selection” line was born, in which are present the wines that most of all represent the potentialities of the Terlano DOC territory. Inside it, on the southern side of the Monzoccolo, about five kilometers north of the village of Terlano, there are vineyards of Pinot Blanc, at an altitude between 450 and 650 meters, with a slope that reaches peaks of 70%. From these vineyards, with a yield of 52 quintals per hectare, originates the Pinot Bianco Vorberg, a wine whose grapes are selected and harvested manually, and then sent to the cellar for the delicate crushing in whole bunch, and for the racking by natural sedimentation. After the slow fermentation at a controlled temperature, in large oak barrels, the wine is poured into other oak barrels, where it ages a year while it also performs malolactic fermentation, before bottling and marketing.
The 2018 vintage shows a straw-yellow color in which you can see both greenish and golden streaks, with an olfactory range that opens on notes of nectarine, medlar, kaiser pear and hawthorn, followed by gooseberry, chamomile, chlorophyll and strawberry tree honey, with final echoes of iodine and combusted shell. The palate is crossed by an important sapid/ mineral vein, surrounded by a good softness, a hint of white pepper and a balsamic side; all enriched by the return of fresh yellow fruit and iodine that accompany the sip to a very long finish.
Rating: 91/100
