Alto Adige wines in international guides: Diverse top tier, top ratings

283 top scores for 213 wines from 58 producers: The verdict of the most prestigious international wine guides on Alto Adige wines is once again encouraging this year, demonstrating just how diverse the top tier of the Alto Adige wine scene is. “This diversity applies to producers as well as growing areas and grape varieties,” Eduard Bernhart, director of the Consorzio Alto Adige Wines said.


Year after year, the new editions of the international wine guides are eagerly awaited, and once again the ratings for Alto Adige wines are extremely encouraging. In nine renowned guides – Wine Spectator, Robert Parker/Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, Decanter, James Suckling, Vinous, Vinum Wineguide, Falstaff Wine Guide Italy and Henris – Alto Adige has received 283 top marks for a total of 213 different wines.

“What we are particularly pleased with, of course, is the breadth of producers, which also highlights the diversity of our wine scene,” Bernhart commented, referring to the 58 producers who each have at least one top-rated wine. “They include cooperatives as well as wineries and independent winegrowers,” the Director of the wine competence centre for the Alto Adige wine sector stated.

100 points and special awards
The undisputed highlight this year are the 100 points (and thus the highest possible score) awarded by Robert Parker to the 1991 Pinot Blanc Rarity Alto Adige Terlano DOC from the Cantina Terlano. “The significance of this score becomes clear when one considers that Robert Parker has so far awarded 100 points to only two Italian white wines – the Pinot Blanc Rarity this year and the 2009 Gewürztraminer Epokale Alto Adige DOC from the Cantina Tramin in 2018,” Bernhart explained. “This award therefore once again highlights the reputation of Alto Adige as Italy’s leading white wine region.”

The 2021 Terlano I Primo Grande Cuvée Alto Adige DOC from the Cantina Terlano also received 100 points – this time from James Suckling. One Alto Adige wine also features among Wine Enthusiast’s 100 best wines of the year: the 2021 Pinot Noir Schweizer Alto Adige DOC from Franz Haas. Falstaff believes that a total of three out of four best Italian white wines come from Alto Adige, to be precise, from the St. Michael-Eppan Winery (1) and the Cantina Terlano (2), as do two of the four best dessert wines (Cantina Tramin and Ansitz Waldgries Manor Christian Plattner).

This year, two Alto Adige wines received the top rating of 100 points from Henris: the 2012 Pinot Blanc Rarity Alto Adige Terlano DOC from the Cantina Terlano and the 2017 Gewürztraminer vendemmia tardiva Epokale Alto Adige DOC from the Cantina Tramin. Henris also honoured Elena Walch as Winery of the Year, Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg as Wine Personality of the Year, the Cantina Kurtatsch as Winery of the Year, and the Peter Sölva Winery for Collection of the Year.


Whites just ahead of reds 
Taking a closer look at the top scores, Alto Adige once again proved itself to be a region renowned for its white wines this year – albeit only just. Of the 213 award-winning wines, 100 are white wines, 98 are red wines, 11 are dessert wines and four are sparkling wines. “We are, of course, particularly pleased that sparkling wines have made it onto the list this year, as it highlights the progress our sparkling wine producers have made in recent years,” Bernhart said.

It is also interesting to take a look at the award-winning grape varieties: no fewer than 17 have made it into the rankings, meaning they have produced at least one award-winning wine. “This, too, shows that our wine region stands out above all for its diversity,” the Director of the Consorzio Alto Adige Wines explained. Bernhart ascribes this diversity to a simple reason: “If we are to make the most of the diverse conditions found in our vineyards across different altitudes and growing regions, a variety of grape varieties is essential.” Once again this year, Pinot Noir tops the list of award-winning wines. It leads with 38 wines, awarding 48 of them top marks. This is followed by Chardonnay (26 wines / 33 top marks), Pinot Blanc (20/29) and Sauvignon (19/28).


The most award-winning wines
That leaves a look at the most award-winning wines. The 2012 Pinot Blanc Rarity Alto Adige Terlano DOC and the 2022 Terlano I Primo Grande Cuvée Alto Adige DOC – both from the Cantina Terlano – each receiving six top marks, whilst the 2023 Sauvignon Quarz Alto Adige Terlano DOC, also from the Cantina Terlano, scored five, whilst the 2021 Cuvée Adamantis Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT from the Cantina Valle Isarco, the 2021 Pinot Noir Riserva Vigna Das Langefeld Alto Adige DOC from Pfitscher and the 2017 Gewürztraminer vendemmia tardiva Epokale Alto Adige DOC from the Cantina Tramin each received four top marks. 


Download

• Presse release

• Foto: Credits: © Alto Adige Wines/mintmediahouse