Taste: Aromas of red berries, dried fruits and violets are followed by flavors of cherry, cranberry, blackberry and plum, with a refreshing bitter almond note on the finish.
Body: Generally light (can be medium or full)
Tannin: Low to medium
Acidity: Medium to high
Age: Drink within a few years of release.
Other: With low yields and oak aging it can be made in the Powerful style.
Description
Teroldego (teh-RAHL-deh-go) is a very high quality grape variety grown almost exclusively in Trentino, which is the southern half of Italy’s most northerly wine region: Trentino-Alto Adige. Its origins are obscure, but it has a good pedigree as it has been shown to be genetically related to Syrah and it is one of the parents of Lagrein (see Lagrein in the Smooth style).
In Trentino it is grown in the gravel rich soils of the Rotaliano plain where yields are generally high resulting in light bodied, fruity wines with good acidity and soft tannins. These wines are often compared to Beaujolais Crus (see the Gamay grape variety in the Fruity style) and can be quite elegant and delicious. Expect aromas of red berries, dried fruits and violets with flavors of cherry, cranberry, blackberry and plum, as well as a refreshing bitter almond note on the finish.
However, there is another side to Teroldego. When yields are kept low, tannins allowed to fully ripen and the wines are aged in oak their structure and complexity are transformed. Now these wines become full bodied and Powerful in style with deeper, riper fruit flavors, combined with spice and smoky notes from oak contact. They still retain good acidity and the tannins support their firm structure. Made in this style Teroldego is a big wine, which is sometimes compared to Zinfandel (see Zinfandel in the Powerful style).
[sc name=”Grape varieties footer”]