Nals Margreid

Trentino - Alto Adige, Italy

ORGANIC - MINIMAL INTERVENTION

A small co-operative in the truest sense of the word, Nals Margreid was founded by a small group of growers in the alpine area of Südtirol to collectively produce fine, high-altitude wines from their small parcels of fruit which in many cases had been tended to by hand over generations. Today, Nals Margreid is one of the preeminent producers in the zone, consistently producing wines with the racy acidity, crystalline fruit purity and textural nuance which are hallmarks of great wine from this spectacular region.

Hardly Italian, this strip of once-Austrian ruled alps runs thick with kranskys, felt sandals and the German language. Most of the road signs are in either German and Italian, or German and English and many of the wines carry both the Italian and German synonym names. This is a magic, strange and very unique part of the world, a true melting pot of cultures and cuisines and one of my favourite places.

The Pinots Grigio and Bianco from Nals are some of the finest produced in Italy, and resemble the icy, rocky terroir in which they are raised. And while it’s these two known varieties which bear the flag worldwide, the native, aromatic Moscato Giallo and the incredibly fragrant Schiava are the true hidden gems from this iconic winery.

2020 NALS MARGREID ‘SUN’ MOSCATO GIALLO – ALTO ADIGE DOC, ITL

The SUN Moscato Giallo vineyards can be found on a gentle slope in Magrè. The white chalky gravel soils have a high content of humus. The Mediterranean climate is characterised by hot summers and mild winters, as well as the Ora, a warm afternoon wind that comes from Lake Garda to the south. The grapes are harvested by hand. Afterwards, the clarified must is fermented for around three weeks in stainless steel tanks. Before being bottled, the young wine is aged on the lees for a further five months. Intense straw yellow, with remarkable depth. Complex, with melon and yellow-flesh peach, and undertones of fresh sage. Taut, juicy and zesty with a beautiful crisp flavour

2020 NALS MARGREID ‘ANGRA’ PINOT NOIR – ALTO ADIGE DOC, ITL

The ANGRA Pinot Noir vineyards are situated in the Oltradige. It is a compact and impermeable morainic soil, formed by sediments from the Ice Age. The Mediterranean climate is characterised by hot summers and mild winters, as well as the Ora, a warm afternoon wind that comes from Lake Garda to the south. The grapes are harvested by hand. After being carefully destemmed, the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks with gentle maceration. Malolactic fermentation then takes place, before the wine is aged for seven months in 40 hl wooden barrels. A not overly intense red with ruby reflections, medium depth. Raspberry and cherry, with undertones of black pepper. Full and juicy, with a beautiful freshness and persistent finish

2022 NALS MARGREID ‘BERG’ PINOT BIANCO – ALTO ADIGE, ITA

Nals Margreid, come ogni altra etichetta dell’azienda, porta un nome proprio, a sottolinearne il carattere unico. Le uve da cui nasce questo vino provengono da vigneti situati in alta quota ma con clima abbastanza caldo. La raccolta avviene rigorosamente a mano; la vinificazione è condotta in acciaio e sempre in accaio il vino sosta 5 mesi in affinamento.

2022 NALS MARGREID SCHIAVA ‘ PFEFFERSBERGER’

Watch this space: Schiava is coming. Indigenous to Alto Adige (they think), it’s a typically mineral, light-bodied grape armed with moreish tannin. Nals Margreid produces Alpine Italian wines elevated geographically and in style, here producing a Schiava much like Nebbiolo in its deceptive pale hue. Ancient gravel-derived minerality meets lavender, plum and pepper for a fuller take

2020 NALS MARGREID PINOT BIANCO ‘SIRMIAN’

When tasted in my office, the Nals Margreid 2020 Alto Adige Pinot Bianco Sirmian was a more neutral and closed. At the winery, it was singing loud and clear. I’ve gone with an average of both scores here. With 40,000 bottles released, Sirmian delivers great textural richness achieved with eight months of barrel age.