The 2017 Terlaner Grande Cuvée Primo is rich and seductive from the first tilt of the glass. It displays a mix of roasted hazelnut, baked apple and dried peaches, as it gains further complexities through evolving notes of smoky minerals, chamomile and hints of honeysuckle. The textural depths on the palate are otherworldly, seemingly weighty yet precise, enveloping all it touches in velvety waves of ripe stone fruits and sweet spice, as juicy acids sneak in, both framing and balancing the wine. The finish is remarkably long yet fresh, teeming with energy while also showing hints of vanilla and toasty oak. The Terlano wines have a track record for evolving beautifully in the cellar. That said, the 2017 does show a warmer vintage character, yet all of the elements are here to carry it for another fifteen to twenty years. It's a blend of Pinot Bianco 70%, Chardonnay 27% and Sauvignon Blanc 3%...Wow!

The 2007 Pinot Bianco Rarity is gorgeous. The wine spent ten years aging in large barrels on its lees, and today it needs a little time in the glass to unfold; but once it does, you realize the wait was well worth it. A complex mix of apricot and smoked almond skins opens further to reveal savory notes of ginger, dried yellow flowers, crushed stone and a whiff of salty sea air. It’s texturally stunning, seeming weighty at times and then remarkably fresh and lifted; while the longer it sits in the glass, the deeper it becomes. There’s an intriguing contrast of dry, concentrated white orchard fruits against a bitter coating of liquid florals with a mineral twang. The senses buzz with residual tension, like a reverberation of all the flavors and aromas experienced throughout.

The 2017 Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva is subtly sweet and perfumed in the glass, as a note of peaches-in-cream fades to yellow apple, raw almond, lemony citrus, stone dust and white flowers. It’s soothing on the palate with its silky textures, yet contrasting tension builds through gentle acids and minerals, creating a ripe yet also savory and almost-salty expression. The finish is long, resonating on ripe orchard fruits with inner florals and a hint of lime zest.

The 2017 Pinot Noir Monticol Riserva is youthfully restrained and coy, showing glimpses of ripe cherry and strawberry, with wild herbal notes and hints of damp, dark earth. Cool-toned, silky yet precise, it seems to hover, displaying pretty red fruits laced with sweet spice and a hint of gentle tannins, turning a bit tart toward the close yet remaining elegant and refined. The Monticol goes through malolactic fermentation in barrel, where it also spends twelve months in a combination of large cask (30%) and barrique (70%). It’s an incredibly pretty Pinot Noir that should be even better in a few years’ time.

The nose on the 2018 Sauvignon Quarz is intense. It lifts from the glass with notes of lemon, tangerine and crisp green apple, complicated by white smoke and savory herbs. On the palate, silky textures glide across a tense frame of minerals and acids, while maintaining its ripe fruit persona with notes of apricot and sweet inner florals, creating a sensation that mixes elegance with power. The finish is remarkably long and a bit grassy, tugging at the senses with citrus-tinged fruits, leaving a hint of honeysuckle. I’m loving the contrasting nature of this wine.

The 2017 Lagrein Gries Riserva coats the glass with an inky purple color, as a bouquet of tart black cherry mixes with notes of sweet violet candies, graphite, savory herbs and undergrowth. Its velvety textures are complemented by ripe red/blue fruits, reeled in by a mix of salty minerals and grippy tannins, as inner floral tones amass toward the finale. This is a big wine, to be sure, yet its oak influence is perfectly integrated, along with structural stuffing to carry it for many years in the cellar.

The 2019 Cuvée Terlaner makes for a great introduction to the Cantina Terlano portfolio. It’s a blend of 60% Pinot Bianco, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, which mixes salty, savory notes with penetrating yellow citrus, balanced by fresh florals and hints of ripe crushed apple. While there’s no shortage of tension here, the Cuvée Terlaner manages to come across as round and pliant, buzzing with energy while cooling and soothing the senses. Orange zest and a note of roasted almond lingers, making for a complete and truly satisfying experience.

The 2017 Nova Domus Riserva blends 60% Pinot Bianco, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon into a big, rich Terlaner. The bouquet shows ripe apple and pear, offset by white smoke minerals and a spritz of lime. Its textures are silky and smooth, with an apparent inner sweetness, balanced by savory spice and brisk acids. There’s a slight perception of heat on the finish, coupled with a hint of tannin and inner florals. It’s a beautiful wine, yet I feel the warmth of the vintage comes through a bit much.

The 2019 Sauvignon Winkl shows all of the stony, grassy and lemony notes that you’d hope for, along with wild flowers and the slightest hint of diesel. It coasts across the palate with silky textures, contrasted by brisk acids and minerals, as flavors of ripe apple soothe the senses, yet there’s an herbal savoriness as well, which tempts the imagination. The finish is long and full of tension, yet also mouthwatering, tapering off to citrus-tinged inner florals and subtle spice.

The bouquet on the 2019 Gewürztraminer Tradition is remarkably fresh and floral, yet not leaning too much on the exoticism that the variety has a tendency to show. Instead I’m finding notes of white peach and kiwi, hints of lemony citrus and spring flowers. It coats the palate with silky richness, perfectly balanced by zesty acids, as sweet spice and ripe peach comes forward. The finish is long and textural, seeming to slowly melt away, leaving a hint of minty herbs and vanilla bean.