I normally drink very rarely Teroldego - and when I do, it’s usually just one bottle here, another there.
It’s not that I wouldn’t like it - on the contrary, the variety makes pretty lovely wines that can be both quaffable yet interesting with good sense of structure. Especially the acidity can be pretty brisk (which I like) - the variety is not unlike a Trentino’s answer to Piedmont’s Barbera.
However, the variety rarely makes anything really serious and interesting - and I have enough daily drinkers at my disposal, which is why Teroldego rarely makes its way into my cellars. Basically it’s the crème de la crème that I seek out - in other words, Foradori. Heinrich Mayr also makes a smashing Teroldego (or Tyroldego as it used to be known in Alto Adige). Apart from those producers, Teroldego hasn’t really managed to leave a lasting impression in my head.
Which is why it was both fun and enlightening to attend this tasting of Teroldegos! As I normally taste just random single bottles of Teroldego here and there, this opportunity helped me to get a better picture of this variety. And it also managed to reinforce one of my older preconceptions: Foradori really is the master of the variety! However, that Schwarzhof wine showed how the variety can evolved pretty nicely if made into a more ageworthy style.
The person who arranged the tasting wanted us to also rate the wines after we had tasted them. Everybody got three points that we could distribute freely to the wines however we wanted to, ie. one point for three different wines, three points to one very special wine or one point for one and two points for another wine. You can see pretty clearly that my personal preferences didn’t go exactly hand-in-hand with the larger crowd!
Here is the final ranking of the wines, including the points the wines got (and my personal rating in parentheses):
- 1 - 2013 Schwarzhof Ternet, 8 pts. (92)
- 2 - 2014 Mezzacorona Teroldego Rotaliano Castel Firmian Riserva, 6 pts. (89)
- 3 - 2019 Foradori Teroldego Morei, 4 pts. (93)
- 4 - 2017 Azienda Agricola Zeni Teroldego Rotaliano Vigneto Lealbere, 3 pts. (87)
- 4 - 2016 Foradori, 3 pts. (90)
- 5 - 2015 Mezzacorona Teroldego Rotaliano Castel Firmian, 2 pts. (88)
- 6 - 2016 Endrizzi Teroldego Gran Masetto, 1 pt. (78)
- 7 - 2019 Cavit Teroldego Rotaliano Superiore Riserva Maso Cervara, 0 pt. (79)
- 7 - 2019 Foradori, 0 pts. (91)
- 7 - 2021 La Vis Teroldego, 0 pts. (84)
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2021 La Vis Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT - Italy, Trentino Alto-Adige / Veneto, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (19.4.2023)
100% Teroldego harvested in early October from the Avisio hills around the comune of Lavis in Trentino. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, aged on the lees for six months in fiberglass-coated concrete tanks and in used French oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
Youthful, luminous black cherry color that permits some light through. The nose feels big, sweet and youthful with primary aromas of dark fruit jellies, some juicy black cherry tones, a little bit of licorice and a hint of jammy red fruit. The wine feels dry, firm and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and youthful flavors of tart lingonberries and sour cherries, some primary notes of jelly candies and strawberry yogurt, a little bit of bog bilberry, light blueberry notes and a hint of red plum. The structure relies almost entirely on the high acidity as there seems to be no tannic grip in the wine. The medium-long finish is dry and crunchy with a crisp, acid-driven aftertaste of lingonberries and bog bilberries, some sweeter candied notes of primary fruit, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light crunchy notes of tart red plums and a hint of licorice.
A nice and refreshing but quite simple and linear little red that works as an unpretentious everyday red, but offers very little of interest. The overall style is still dominated by those candied fermentation esters, lending the wine somewhat sweet-toned feel despite the crunchy - almost eye-watering - acidity, typical of Teroldego. I guess this wine could be more interesting after a few years of additional aging, in the hopes it loses those candied primary notes, but most likely it will still remain a rather light and crunchy little wine, nothing more. In our tasting the wine received zero points from the nine participants, making it finish on shared last place. Priced according to its quality at 12€.
(84 points) -
2019 Foradori - Italy, Trentino Alto-Adige / Veneto, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (19.4.2023)
100% Teroldego from all the Foradori estate vineyards, planted to different clones of Teroldego. Fermented spontaneously in concrete tanks, aged on the lees for 12 months in concrete tanks and used oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol.
Luminous, slightly translucent black cherry color. The nose feels dry and slightly smoky, showing some of the reduction Teroldego is prone to. There are aromas of crunchy dark berries and gunpowder smoke, some terracotta tones, a little bit of bretty funk, light sweeter-toned notes of dark fruits, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of licorice. The wine feels youthful, lively and ever-so-slightly tingly on the palate with a tiniest bit of CO2. The wine is medium in body with intense flavors of tart lingonberries and some crunchy crowberries, a little bit of bretty funk, light smoky notes of phenolic spice, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The quite supple medium-minus tannins lend a little bit of grip to the mouthfeel, but mostly the structure relies on the high acidity. The finish is dry, long and pretty savory with a little bit of tannic grip and quite intense flavors of tart lingonberries and sour cherry bitterness, some bretty notes of leathery funk and a little bit of smoky phenolic character, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of crunchy crowberry and a touch of terracotta.
A tasty, fresh and sophisticated Teroldego that might be just a simple entry-level wine of the Foradori range, but still it manages to come across as pretty serious and no-nonsense in character, really punching above its weight. This is not a big or challenging wine by any means, but it shows more intensity and depth of flavor one might expect from a simple entry-level Teroldego. As the wine is made in a pretty hands-off fashion, there's a little bit of bretty funk in the wine, but it only adds a little bit of rustic charm to the flavors, not really muddling the fruit or distracting from the pleasure. Knowing how Foradori wines age, I can imagine this will only evolve and improve - and hopefully lose its reductive qualities - with further aging. Drink after a few more years or keep for a lot longer. Surprisingly the wine received zero points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, making it finish on shared last place. At the price the wine retails here in Finland (approx. 36€) I'd say the wine is not really worth the cost, but at its "normal" price (around 25€) it is a great purchase.
(91 points) -
2019 Foradori Teroldego Morei Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT - Italy, Trentino Alto-Adige / Veneto, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (19.4.2023)
Made with biodynamically farmed Teroldego grapes from the "Vigneto Morei" vineyard spanning 2,5 hectares. Vinified according to a very hands-off philosophy, aged for 8 months with the grape skins in Spanish clay tiñajas. Annual production 10,000 bottles. 12,5% alcohol.
Youthful, somewhat pale and relatively translucent ruby-red color - lighter than seems typical of Teroldego. The nose feels bright and red-toned with nuanced, characterful aromas of lingonberries and wild strawberries, some funky notes of barnyard, a little bit of sweet cherry marmalade, light smoky phenolic tones, a hint of earth and a touch of ripe red fruits. The wine feels ripe, juicy and concentrated yet still wonderfully firm and fresh on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of ripe red plums, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of phenolic spice, light sweet notes of cherry marmalade, a hint of gravelly minerality and a funky touch of barnyard. The overall feel is wonderfully sinewy and structured, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, fresh and crunchy with intense flavors of fresh red plums and tart lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light sweet nuances of black cherry marmalade, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of smoky character.
A very firm, characterful and even a bit angular Teroldego that is still bursting with youthful energy. The wine doesn't show any obvious primary qualities, but the wine is still obviously very young with a somewhat nervous overall feel. Tasting this next to the basic 2019 Foradori Teroldego, this Morei - maybe a bit surprisingly - comes across as slightly lighter in weight and color, but - less surprisingly - does pack more power, intensity and structure. Both these wines showed a bit funk, but I the regular Teroldego was a bit funkier and Morei felt slightly "cleaner" from the fruit perspective. Although both the wines were just wonderful, this Morei was definitely a notch more impressive an effort. The wine received four points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, making it finish on third place. However, when it comes to personal preference, I feel this was the best wine we tasted - despite its still very youthful overall nature. At the moment the wine is still a bit awkward, but most likely the wine will continue to evolve and improve for another decade or two - let it wait for at least a few years more, just to let the wine get its game better together. Price-wise the wine is maybe a bit on the pricey side at 56€, but not excessively so.
(93 points) -
2019 Cavit Teroldego Rotaliano Superiore Riserva Maso Cervara - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Teroldego Rotaliano Superiore (19.4.2023)
A Teroldego Rotaliano Superiore by Cavit aka. Cantina Viticoltori del Trentino - a co-op group that consists of eleven local co-operatives, representing a total of 5,250 farmer-growers. Maso Cervara is the flagship Teroldego of the producer, made with the best fruit available. After the fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barriques for 24 months. 13,5% alcohol.
Dense, completely opaque blackish-red color. The big and concentrated nose feels quite dark-toned and sweetly-fruited with aromas of fresh black cherries and licorice, some woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of vanilla, light sweet notes of ripe red plums and a toasty hint of chocolatey mocha oak. The wine feels ripe, juicy and polished on the palate with a full body and quite concentrated flavors of vanilla and toasty mocha oak, some sweetly-fruited notes of ripe black cherries, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light woody nuances of savory oak spice, hints of cloves, nutmeg and other Christmas spices and a sweet touch of blackcurrant marmalade. The structure relies mostly on the rather high acidity as the ripe, supple tannins only contribute a little bit to the chewy texture of the wine. The crunchy finish feels quite dry and acid-driven yet still somewhat concentrated with a long and pretty modern-ish aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherry bitterness, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of vanilla, light licorice tones, toasty hints of chocolatey mocha oak and a touch of coffee. The tannins make the wine end on a gently grippy note.
A surprisingly polished and gloopy Teroldego that is supposed to be very impressive due to the high quality of the fruit, but instead comes across as rather impactful only because of the rather overdone oak influence. I guess there might a pretty impressive wine underneath - at least it feels pretty balanced and crunchy, not really too ripe - but there's just not enough body or fruit intensity to stand up against all that new oak. If the wine weren't so high in acidity, I'd describe this as a flat imperial stout. Not my cup of tea - but at least I wasn't the only one. The wine received zero points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, making it finish on shared last place. Not worth the 27€.
(79 points) -
2017 Azienda Agricola Zeni Teroldego Rotaliano Vigneto Lealbere - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Teroldego Rotaliano (19.4.2023)
A single-vineyard Teroldego. Fermented and macerated with the skins for approximately 10 days in open-top vats. Aged on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks until the summer following the harvest, when the wine is bottled. 13,5% alcohol.
Youthful, slightly translucent blackish-red color. The nose feels clean, fragrant and slightly sappy with attractive, youthful aromas of blueberries and fresh dark plums, some boysenberries, a little bit of licorice root, light herby nuances of fennel and a green-toned hint of crushed birch leaves. The wine is juicy, ripe and somewhat sweet-toned on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and vibrant flavors of sweet dark berries, some freshly baked licorice, light strawberry notes, a little bit of perfumed floral character, juicy hints of boysenberries and dark plums and a touch of savory spicy character. The wine is only medium-plus in acidity with supple, modest tannins, making the overall feel pretty soft and mellow. The pretty soft finish is rich and juicy with a quite lengthy aftertaste of ripe dark plums, some licorice tones, a little bit of boysenberry, light strawberry nuances and a hint of savory spice.
A nice and characterful Teroldego with a quite distinctive, fragrant overall character. I only wish the wine weren't so soft and mellow - with higher acidity and slightly grippier tannins I would've enjoyed this wine a lot more. Now it was "just" nice. The wine came across as more nuanced and characterful than most other Teroldegos we tasted, which made it stand out positively from the crowd, but at the same time it was among the lowest-acid bottles we had - which was a bit of a surprise, seeing how Teroldego is mainly known for its tendency to make super tart high-acid reds! All in all, this was a good effort, but not really my cup of tea with its modest acidity. However, some people enjoyed the softer, more approachable nature of the wine: it received three points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, making it finish on shared fourth place. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 17€.
(87 points) -
2016 Endrizzi Teroldego Gran Masetto Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT - Italy, Trentino Alto-Adige / Veneto, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (19.4.2023)
The "Teroldego & Teroldego" part in the label means that 50% of the Teroldego grapes are vinified directly, while 50% of the grapes are raisined for three months before the vinification process. Macerated for 40 days - for ten days the wine is just left to ferment, then pump-overs are employed for 30 days, until the wine is pressed off the skins. Aged in French oak barriques for 20 months. 15,5% alcohol.
Dense, concentrated and fully opaque blackish-maroon color that stains the glass as you swirl the wine around. The nose feels ridiculously massive and sweetly-fruited with bold, oak-driven aromas of cedar, vanilla and cloves, some blackcurrant marmalade tones, a little bit of spruce resin, light jammy notes of blueberries, a hint of baking spice, a touch of cherry marmalade and a whiff of semi-hard fruit candies. The wine feels huge, ripe and concentrated on the palate with a very full body and polished, rather sweet-toned flavors of blackcurrant marmalade, some baking spices like vanilla, nutmeg and cloves, a little bit of blueberry juice, light jammy notes of strawberries, a green-toned hint of spruce shoots and a touch of licorice. The overall feel is pretty warm and quite massive, but lacking in structure, thanks to the quite soft medium acidity and ample yet ripe, only somewhat grippy tannins. The finish is rich, hot and gently grippy with a very long, somewhat sweet-toned aftertaste of juicy, plummy dark fruits, some vanilla tones, a little bit of blackcurrant jam, light nuances of cloves and nutmeg, a hint of cherry marmalade and a woody touch of cedar.
This is a huge, monolithic blockbuster wine that is much closer to a generic Napa Cab or Barossa Shiraz than to a classic Teroldego. Bright, high acidity and crunchy red-and-dark-toned berry flavors are the hallmarks of this variety - and this wine is lacking badly in them. This jammy concoction feels more like over-extracted oak concentrate that could have been made from any red varieties available, making the "Teroldego & Teroldego" text in the label feel like a lousy joke. If you want to find something Italian from this wine, I guess you could think of this as a Trentino version of an oaky, super-modern Amarone. I found the wine rather difficult to enjoy because it tasted more like wood and fruit jam than of anything reminiscent of Teroldego, but I guess there are people who value these kinds of monster wines - after all, the wine received one point from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, making it finish on sixth place. At 67€ this is just waste of money.
(78 points) -
2016 Foradori - Italy, Trentino Alto-Adige / Veneto, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (19.4.2023)
100% Teroldego from all the Foradori estate vineyards, planted to different clones of Teroldego. Fermented spontaneously in concrete tanks, aged on the lees for 12 months in concrete tanks and used oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol.
Dark, slightly translucent and a bit evolved black cherry color. The nose feels surprisingly reductive - even more so than the vintage 2019 that was tasted at the same time - with somewhat closed and reticent aromas of flinty smoke, some skunky notes of hard-boiled eggs, a little bit of crunchy crowberry, light stemmy green tones, a hint of bog bilberry, a touch of fresh black cherry and a sanguine whiff of iron. The wine feels firm, dry and a bit closed on the palate with a medium body and crunchy, acid-driven flavors of tart lingonberries and crowberries, some smoky notes of reduction, a little bit of peppery spice, light earthy nuances, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine is noticeably high in acidity, lending the wine tremendous sense of energy and structure, but the tannins are very light and supple. The finish is dry, crunchy and very slightly grippy with a long, acid-driven aftertaste of tart lingonberries, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of peppery spice, light crunchy notes of crowberries, a hint of tobacco and a touch of something vaguely stemmy.
A wonderfully lean, bright and crunchy vintage of Foradori that feels even more reductive than is normal for her reds. The wine does blow off some of its reduction in the glass, but honestly, this wine really calls for either hours of aeration or just further aging. Seeing how closed, youthful and borderline nervous the wine is, it seems like it is really built to age. I'm pretty sure this is never going to be a big and impressive vintage of Foradori due to its rather lean and acid-driven overall style, but I'm sure it is capable of developing some interesting tertiary notes with some bottle age. At the moment the wine is a bit too closed and reductive, but with enough age (or aeration), I'm sure this'll be a lovely wine. Solid value at approximately 20€. The wine received three points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, finishing on shared fourth place.
(90 points) -
2015 Mezzacorona Teroldego Rotaliano Castel Firmian - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Teroldego Rotaliano (19.4.2023)
100% Teroldego from the estate vineyards in Piana Rotaliana. Fermented and macerated for 5-6 days on the skins in stainless steel tanks. Aged in oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol.
Slightly translucent, somewhat evolved and quite dark cherry-red color. The nose feels ripe, dark-toned and sweetly-fruited with aromas of dark forest fruits, some vanilla oak, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light evolved meaty tones, a hint of licorice, a woody touch of savory oak spice and a whiff of cranberry sauce. The wine feels ripe, juicy and quite silky smooth on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and subtly evolved flavors of sweet black cherries, some meaty umami, a little bit of oaky vanilla, light crunchy notes of cranberries and crowberries, a hint of blood and a touch of juicy dark fruits. The wine is high in acidity with no noticeable tannins whatsoever. The finish is juicy, ripe and very subtly grippy with a sweet-toned aftertaste of black cherries and blackberries, some vanilla oak, a little bit of crunchy crowberry, light tart notes of cranberries, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of wood.
A pretty harmonious and drinkable Teroldego from the easy-drinking end of the spectrum. The rather noticeable oak influence drowns out some of the bright, sappy Teroldego characteristics, making the wine feel somewhat generic and anonymous. Although the wine shows a little bit of age, I think it could take on some additional bottle age in the hopes it would integrate some of that vanilla oak better with the fruit. But then again, this is a simple everyday red, so I'm not sure if aging it any longer (it is already almost 8 years old!) makes much sense. Priced according to its quality at 14€. The wine received two points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, finishing on fifth place.
(88 points) -
2014 Mezzacorona Teroldego Rotaliano Castel Firmian Riserva - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Teroldego Rotaliano (19.4.2023)
100% Teroldego from the best estate vineyards like Catorzi, Fron, Rauti and Sottodossi in Piana Rotaliana. Fermented and macerated for 12-13 days on the skins in stainless steel tanks. Aged for 12 months in Allier and Tronçais oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol.
Deep, somewhat translucent, slightly evolved and quite dark cherry-red color. The nose feels quite ripe and fruit-driven but also moderately oaky with lush aromas of strawberries and red cherries, some vanilla and toasty mocha oak, a little bit of juicy dark forest fruits, light smoky nuances, a hint of developed meaty character and a touch of crowberry. The wine is dry, firm and quite dense on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe cranberries and tart lingonberries, some sour cherry tones, a little bit of vanilla and sweet, toasty oak, light red-toned notes of wild strawberries and tart red plums, a savory hint of gamey meat and a touch of chopped herbs. The wine is rather high in acidity with ripe yet moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is rich, savory and juicy with moderately grippy tannins and a rather long aftertaste of sweet black cherries, some sour cherry bitterness, light oaky notes of vanilla and other baking spices, a little bit of red licorice, a savory hint of developed meaty character and a touch of crunchy cranberry.
Tasting this next to the 2015 non-Riserva version of Castel Firmian Teroldego, this Riserva version seemed a bit more structured and serious in overall character, but curiously more red-toned in fruit profile, whereas the darker-toned 2015 seemed a bit bigger and weightier in comparison. I guess that can be chalked down to vintage differences - after all, 2014 was a cooler and 2015 was a warmer vintage. This Riserva does show even more oak character than the non-Riserva did - which feels a bit too much in both these wines - but this Riserva seems to carry the oak a bit better, thanks to its more structured frame, sense of concentration and better fruit intensity. Although the oak impact feels a bit too much at the moment, the wine feels like it could easily take on some additional aging, so maybe with enough age the oak could integrate nicely with the fruit? Who knows. This was a rather enjoyable, albeit maybe a bit too modern and anonymous effort, for a Riserva-level Teroldego Rotaliano. Priced according to its quality at 18€. Although I wasn't too keen on this wine, many others seemed to like it: the wine received six points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, finishing on second place.
(89 points) -
2013 Schwarzhof Ternet - Italy, Trentino Alto-Adige / Veneto, Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (19.4.2023)
100% Teroldego from vineyards around the comune of Sorni, located at the altitude of 450 m asl. The destemmed fruit is fermented in open-top oak fermentors, after which the wine is aged in barriques for 12 months. 14% alcohol.
Very deep, dark and almost fully opaque black cherry color that doesn't appear youthful anymore, nor particularly evolved, either. The nose feels dry, meaty and somewhat evolved with complex aromas of ripe black cherries, some savory notes of game, a little bit of licorice root, light sweet nuances of wizened dark berries and a hint of earth. The wine feels dense, chewy and juicy on the palate with a full body and dry flavors of crunchy dark fruits, some sweeter notes of ripe black cherries and plummy fruits, a little bit of licorice, light woody tones, savory hints of gamey meat and umami and a touch of earth. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate and the overall feel is quite muscular and structured with the rather high acidity and somewhat extracted, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy yet dry and savory with moderately grippy tannins and a rather long and somewhat evolved aftertaste of meaty umami, some woody notes of savory oak, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light licorice tones, a hint of earth and a sweeter touch of wizened dark berries.
A very nice, complex and beautifully evolved Teroldego from the more serious and structured end of the spectrum. I guess this wine might've felt stylistically more "modern" in its youth, but now, as the wine feels close to full maturity, it has developed very attractive, earthy and savory notes of tertiary non-fruit flavors while the fruit profile shows both crunchy fresh fruit notes and sweeter, more evolved nuances of dried fruits. Most likely this wine will continue to keep just fine for years more - maybe even for another decade - but I guess any further improvement is going to be very limited at this point. Drink or keep. A great purchase at 27€. Not only was the wine my 2nd favorite of the night, it also received eight points from the nine participants in our tasting of ten Teroldego wines, finishing on first place.
(92 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
