St. Pauls is a co-operative in the South Tyrol, and this is Sauvignon Blanc grown in the mountains of Alto Adige, Italy's northernmost wine region, where vineyards climb the Alpine foothills and the growing season runs cooler and later than anywhere else in the country. The 2023 vintage kept that freshness.
- Sauvignon Blanc, 100% of the bottle.
- Alto Adige DOC, South Tyrol, northern Italy.
- 2023 vintage, dry, 13.5% alcohol.
- Light body, high acidity, low tannin.
- 750ml bottle.
How it is made
Alto Adige DOC rules require the wine to be made only from Sauvignon Blanc, and the vineyards sit high enough that the grapes ripen slowly, holding onto their acidity. Cool nights and warm days push aromatic development without burning off the freshness. That gap between day and night is the reason the wines of this region taste the way they do.
How it tastes
Gooseberry and elderflower come first, then citrus and a green herbal note. The acidity is high and the body is light, so it stays sharp rather than round. The finish is mineral, with the kind of dry, stony edge that comes from mountain soils. Nothing here is heavy.
Where it comes from
Alto Adige is Italy's northernmost wine region, tucked against the Austrian border, where German is spoken as often as Italian and the wine culture leans north. The appellation covers a narrow valley of steep terraced slopes, and the region produces mostly white wines, unusual for Italy. St. Pauls is a co-operative, which is the common structure here: many small growers, one cellar.
Good to know
Alto Adige is one of the few parts of Italy where white wine dominates, and the region accounts for a small fraction of national production. The steep slopes mean much of the vineyard work is still done by hand, since machinery cannot climb the terraces.
