Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe 2015 Alto Adige Terlano Riserva Nova Domus is a blend of 60% Pinot Bianco, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine undergoes slow fermentation in large oak barrel and partial malolactic fermentation (only for the Chardonnay and the Pinot Bianco). The wine is aged in barrel for 12 months, but the final blend is not made until three months before bottling. Some 25,000 bottles are released as a result. The bouquet is seamless and beautifully intense with a fresh medley of stone fruit, honey, mango, lemon mousse, saffron and lightly toasted almond. The full-bodied mouthfeel is creamy and rich.
Fermented and aged in large oak barrels, this wine has a soft, pillowy texture and ample alcohol (14.5 percent) that matches its ripe flavors of lime, kiwi and mango. Ten percent sauvignon blanc in the blend adds bright acidity and soft herb notes to the richer flavors of pinot bianco and chardonnay, the wine feeling elevated and balanced.
Ripe melon and apricot fruit and lemon curd and biscuit notes are woven like fine silk with lightly juicy acidity in this fresh, medium-bodied frame. Rich and creamy without excessive weight, showing hints of saffron, star anise and smoke that linger on the finish. Pinot Blanc with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2023.
Founded in 1893, the Cantina Terlano winery is now one of the leading wine growers’ cooperatives in South Tyrol, with a current membership of 143 growers working a total area of 190 hectares. That is the equivalent of some 1.5 million bottles of wine a year. We and our members have long had a strong focus on quality. That has attracted praise and recognition on the Italian and international wine markets, and in spite of its relatively small size, Cantina Terlano is now well established in the world of wine.
Our modern winery produces 30 percent red and 70 percent white wines, all of them of DOC quality (Controlled Designation of Origin). Following the last upgrade and refurbishment in 2009, our cellars now include a total of 18,000 cubic meters of storage space, which ensures that the wines can develop undisturbed. On the outside, the new tract has a natural facing of red porphyry, the stone that gives the wines in the area their typical character. The roof is planted with vines so that it blends in completely with the surrounding countryside.
Our wines are marketed in two distinct quality lines: Selections and traditional line. An annual rarity is also produced, which only comes on the market after it has spent at least ten years maturing in our cellars. That makes it a fine symbol of our focus on longevity.
Wine by Region › Italy › Trentino-Alto Adige › Alto Adige
Taking full advantage of direct sunlight exposure on its steep slopes, many of Alto Adige’s best vineyards are planted at extreme altitude... read more
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.