Cantina Girlan, Alto Adige (Italy) Pinot Noir Riserva “Trattmann” 2021 ($80, Maze Row)

This is such a gorgeous, pure, flawless Pinot Noir that I’m much less worried about according a gaudy score of 97 points to it than I am of having underestimated its ability to evolve into a mature wine meriting an even higher score. There’s no doubting its ability to improve as it develops, as it shows virtually perfect proportionality among all its essential elements, starting with that ultra-pure fruit but including fresh but integrated acidity and plenty of tannins that are so fine-grained that the wine is already wonderfully enjoyable but also build to last as it accumulated tertiary notes from time in bottle. There is very little evident wood on the palate, but quite nice accents of spice in the bouquet, so that’s yet another perfectly proportioned element. Clearly the fruit at the core of this wine was either very healthy or rigorously selected (or both), but the talent of the cellar crew is just as evident, as the maceration and fermentation were neither over- nor under-done, with just the right extraction of aromatic and flavor components but no hint of harshness from this having been “wrung out” too much. But on to the sensory performance: this shows a complex bouquet including baking spices, autumn leaves, faint toasty notes from wood, and pure Bing cherry notes that also stand as the core flavor note. Red berry notes join that cherry note on the palate, mostly recalling raspberry, and the finish is wonderfully symmetrical as it evenly, slowly tails off. I’m sure my enthusiasm is clear enough already, but as a closing note, this is the sort of ultra-promising young that arrives at a press sample but makes one wish for a case to be scrutinized every-other year to watch it blossom fully. This is top shelf, world-class Pinot Noir from Alto Adige that is pricey — but superior to many examples of red Burgundy costing twice as much.
97 Michael Franz