Nals Margreid, Alto Adige (Italy) Pinot Bianco 2018

 This “Sirmian” bottling from Nals Margreid is among the best Pinot Bianco examples from Alto Adige.  The proprietary name is derived from a renowned winegrowing area with very complex soils at a lofty elevation, and this wine’s minerality and complexity are consistently excellent as a result.  Notes of apple pie filling with tinges of freshly squeezed citrus juice and undertones of tropical fruit make this a generously flavored, showy wine, but experience has proved that it is as age-worthy as it is flashy in its youth.  Old vines and extended aging on fine yeast lees also help to explain this wine’s intricacy.  Although this top-tier bottling from an excellent producer is among the more pricey Pinot Biancos, it is worth the money, and you’ll only need one bottle to be convinced of that.