Niklas Kerner 2015
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Alto Adige Kerner is a perfumed and highly satisfying white wine with a very aromatic and elaborate bouquet. It reveals inviting notes of jasmine, honeysuckle and acacia flower with stone fruit, wild herb and candied almond as well. The mouthfeel is delineated and crisp, although it also shows some good weight on the close.
And -- let's it be proclained -- that Pinot Bianco is one serious grape in this area. We've tasted back vintages and it ages quite well. Dieter has banked on Pinot Bianco for years; I hope you will too, at least once.
For something really different, try the Riesling-like, Kerner, a cross of the Schiava and Riesling grape. Apricot and peach make a delicate, refined nose. The Sauvignon here is grown from planting from one of the more famous Sauvignon producers in Styria; minerally and green pepper but also fruit that has tropical notes.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
A mountainous northern Italian region heavily influenced by German culture, Trentino-Alto Adige is actually made up of two separate but similar regions: Alto Adige and Trentino.
Trentino, the southern half, is primarily Italian-speaking and largely responsible for the production of non-native, international grapes. There is a significant quantity of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Merlot produced. But Trentino's native and most unique red variety, Teroldego, while still rare, is gaining popularity. It produces a deeply colored red wine rich in wild blackberry, herb, coffee and cocoa.
The rugged terrain of German-speaking Alto Adige (also referred to as Südtirol) focuses on small-scale viticulture, with great value placed on local varieties—though international varieties have been widely planted since the 1800s. Sheltered by the Alps from harsh northerly winds, many of the best vineyards are at extreme altitude but on steep slopes to increase sunlight exposure.
Dominant red varieties include the bold, herbaceous Lagrein and delicate, strawberry-kissed, Schiava, in addition to some Pinot Nero.
The primary white grapes are Pinot grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc, as well as smaller plantings of Sauvignon blanc, Müller Thurgau. These tend to be bright and refreshing with crisp acidity and just the right amount of texture. Some of the highest quality Pinot grigio in Italy is made here.