Pojer e Sandri Pinot Nero '21

Pojer e Sandri was founded in 1975 by two friends, Mario Pojer and Fiorentino Sandri, with the goal of proving that a little-known viticulture region, between the Valle dell’Adige and the Valle di Cembra, was capable of producing high-quality wines. Fiorentino inherited his family’s vineyards, and Mario was a budding winemaker, when their first release became a success, enabling them to expand their vineyard holdings, including sites for several single-vineyard bottlings.

The grapes for the Pinto Nero are grown in three parcels above Faedo: Rocol (300 meters), Rodel Pianezzi (500 meters), and Palai (700 meters). These vineyards, on steep mountain slopes, have forty-year-old vines and benefit from the constant wind off Lake Garda. The vineyards are planted in soils containing sandstone, siltstone, rocky loam, limestone, and dolomite. The grape clones are a mix of Italian and Burgundian.

The 2021 Pinot Nero is fermented and aged in a combination of stainless steel and wood barrels. The wine shows notes of wild strawberry, cherry, and raspberry, with hints of lilac, tea leaf, cinnamon, and dried herbs.  On the palate, it is medium bodied, with a refreshing streak of acidity and moderate tannins. This is a pure, bright expression of Pinot Nero, a fine balance of the variety’s fruit, floral, and earthy notes. Try it with richer fish dishes, or braised or roasted red meats and poultry.