2008 Santi Sortesele Pinot Grigio

Delle Venezie, Italy

Santi Pinot Grigio Sortesele is a white wine gem from the Veneto region of northeast Italy. Santi traces its origins to 1843, when Carlo Santi established a wine cellar in Illasi, near Verona and Lake Garda. The original winery has been renovated, and it comprises the winery and aging cellar on the plain below Castello d’Illasi, the ruins of a medieval fortress. The Sortesele vineyard covers about 84 acres and lies along the Adige Valley, north of Mezzacorona in Trentino. Winemaker Christian Scrinzi, a rising star from the Melini winery, was recently brought in to work his craft at Santi.

Santi Pinot Grigio is a pale straw color with delicate tints of green. It offers complex aromas of pears, exotic fruits and wild flowers. On the palate, the wine has generous, soft but lively fruit with firm flavors of apples, pears, quince and almonds, good acidity and a long finish. The wine is well balanced to enjoy now and over the next 3-5 years. It is clean and refreshing on the palate with a long, pleasing finish.

Enjoy Santi Pinot Grigio with filet of sole, sushi, grilled chicken, risotto, pasta and mild cheeses.