Italian White Wines

[Phil_T_r_o_t_t_e_r]

There are probably about 50,000 white wines bottled in Italy every year.

I probably taste about 20 of them.

The best white wine made in Italy is Terlano ‘Vorberg’ Pinot Bianco Riserva.

Dan Kravitz

That’s a jokingly well made juxtaposition of sentences.

FTFY

I had a nice chuckle

[Dan_Kravitz]

Well, I just got a new issue of the Wine Advocate on line. In it, Monica Larner covers Alto Adige. The highest rated wine is a Pinot Bianco from Terlano… no, not the ‘Vorberg’ Reserva I recommended, but the Terlano Pinot Bianco ‘Rarity’. The current release is apparently the 2008. It’s rated 98 points and goes for $190. Not in the U.S. yet but the '06 that also got 98 points and the '07 that got 97 points seem to be available. More than I want to spend, but… ???

Dan Kravitz

[Rick_Allen]

This is one of the broadest topics I have ever seen here.

I haven’t seen mention of Falanghina, one of my go-tos.
The nice thing about Italian whites is that you can pick up a sampler case w/o breaking the bank.

I had never heard of Falanghina until our current trip to Italy. It quickly became our go-to white on this trip. If we see it on the list we ordered it. I think we tried four different ones. They ranged from very good to amazing. Now I need to find someone selling it in Oregon…

[Ian_Sutton]

In addition to the Ferrando suggestion, I’ll add Orsolani, plus others making Erbaluce di Caluso, plus a number of Ghemme/Gattinara producers that grow and make erbaluce. It’s also flexible enough to appear in dry, sweet/passito and sparkling forms.

[Marshall_Manning]

I had never heard of Falanghina until our current trip to Italy. It quickly became our go-to white on this trip. If we see it on the list we ordered it. I think we tried four different ones. They ranged from very good to amazing. Now I need to find someone selling it in Oregon…

Rick, I don’t know if the same producer will be here, but there are lots of Falanghinas available here including Terredora, Mastroberardino, Feudi San Gregorio, and Paternoster. Those are just ones I’ve had over the past couple of years, but there are a lot more. Portland has one of the best selections anywhere of Italian wines, so if you like Falanghina, try more from other areas including Friuli, Alto Adige, Liguria, Sicily, and more.

[e_chin]

Well… it has the strong floral aromatics of Arneis. The texture & richness of Chard which you don’t get in Erbaluce/Arneis/Cortese usually. And often a nice minerality. Timo has it all. We’re not talking Rombauer. The oak is sometimes there, but well in the background, usually.
Tom

Have tasted a good bunch of Timorasso, but can’t remember tasting a single one with obvious oak aromatics. I’ve understood that if any oak is used, the vessels are going to be old and aromatically quite neutral. However, most Timorassos I’ve tasted have seen only stainless steel.

Of course I haven’t tasted all of them. Care to mention any Timorassos where one could actually taste the oak?

I can see how it reads as oak sometimes - there’s a richness and complexity along with a distinctive layered spice/ginger characteristic that, if you were tasting blind, could take you to oak but it’s just part of the distinctive characteristics of the varietal. That said, I’m curious too - maybe there are more oaked versions coming out… everybody seems to want to do one these days .

Had my first Timorasso today and found it to be very enjoyable and at great price point (Polodolce petit). To me what first came to mind was the acidity of a Chablis and the texture of a Chenin. Would appreciate any recommendations on producers or bottling that I should checkout.

[Otto_Forsberg]

Had my first Timorasso today and found it to be very enjoyable and at great price point (Polodolce petit). To me what first came to mind was the acidity of a Chablis and the texture of a Chenin. Would appreciate any recommendations on producers or bottling that I should checkout.

I suppose that’s Pomodolce? Polodolce doesn’t ring a bell. However, Pomodolce is definitely great stuff.

Walter Massa is basically the godfather of the variety, so any Massa wine is worth checking out. Claudio Mariotto is another esteemed name.

Marina Coppi makes some very nice and serious wines, too.

And my description of Timorasso has always been the acidity of a Riesling and the texture of a Viognier. Pretty close to yours, although I’ve always found Timorasso to be weightier and more viscous than any dry Chenin I’ve tasted. Hence, Viognier.

[J_Slawney]

I was in Sardinia this summer, and I was drinking these two white wines every chance I got:
Giovanni Montisci, his Moscato labelled “Modestu Vin Bianco” (Giovanni admires Massa, Southern Rhone and Burgundy, I am pretty sure).
Giuseppe Sedilesu, the “Perda Pinta” Barragia
Caveat: These are orange bio wines with alot of skin contact and tropical Mediterranean character.

[e_chin]

Had my first Timorasso today and found it to be very enjoyable and at great price point (Polodolce petit). To me what first came to mind was the acidity of a Chablis and the texture of a Chenin. Would appreciate any recommendations on producers or bottling that I should checkout.

I suppose that’s Pomodolce? Polodolce doesn’t ring a bell. However, Pomodolce is definitely great stuff.

Walter Massa is basically the godfather of the variety, so any Massa wine is worth checking out. Claudio Mariotto is another esteemed name.

Marina Coppi makes some very nice and serious wines, too.

And my description of Timorasso has always been the acidity of a Riesling and the texture of a Viognier. Pretty close to yours, although I’ve always found Timorasso to be weightier and more viscous than any dry Chenin I’ve tasted. Hence, Viognier.

Thanks Otto, I will check to see if they are available in my area.
And yes it was Pomodolce (never checked my spelling).

[Marco_Maiocco]

Tasted Erbaluce for the first time this weekend. A Cieck bottling.

What other Erbaluces should I be checking out?

Other Italian whites?

Other very good erbaluce producers:
Benito Favaro (le chiusure or 13 mesi)
La masera
Orsolani (la rustia)

Erbaluce is also made as a metodo tradizionale sparkling wine or as a passito, thanks to its acidity. Worth a try (same producers)

[Joe_W_i_n_o_g_r_a_d]

I have had very good experiences with the Innominabile erbaluce from Rovellotti.