Andriano Pinot Noir Riserva Anrar Alto Adige DOC 2020 (750ml) *

Pinot Noir grown in the Alpine reaches of northern Italy tends to trade power for perfume, which makes this bottling from Andriano (Cantina Andriano, or Kellerei Andrian) in Alto Adige a slightly bolder take on the theme. The Anrar Riserva is a 2020 from the Sudtirol, aged in the Riserva style and coming in at 14.5% alcohol, a figure that reads as generous for a mountain Pinot. Only about 5,000 bottles were made.

The nose opens on bright, almost candied red fruit, cherry and watermelon, before settling into something mustier and more savory: incense, cedar shavings, sandalwood, dried flowers. On the palate it is silky and pure, carried by red fruit and a brisk, saline acidity that gives the whole thing a crunchy lift. The finish is lightly tannic but crisp, with traces of licorice and grilled herb lingering. This is a wine shaped as much by the cellar as by the fruit, balanced and expressive, with an evolution worth following in the glass.