2018 Borgo Magredo Pinot Grigio Grave Friuli 750 ml

We’ve always appreciated Pinot Grigio as a refreshing summer sipper. But last April, we left northeast Italy’s Borgo Magredo estate marveling at the heights this grape variety can reach. Grown under some of the best possible conditions for the grape, famed winemaker Riccardo Cotarella is turning out mouthwatering wines of real complexity.

And then there’s the price. A Pinot Grigio with this level of structure and richness, in addition to a 91-point score from James Suckling, shouldn’t have a price that demands a case-buy. Whether a dynamic house white is in order or you're hunting for a wine to kick-off a special dinner, one bottle of the 2018 Borgo Magredo Pinot Grigio will not be enough. According to our wine team, “Though it’s priced for every day, this is the bottle you’ll bring out to friends and brag.”

Speaking of bragging, the wine’s birthplace boasts a terroir that brings out the best in Pinot Grigio. Imagine the perfect balance between the cooling influence of the Alps in the north and the warming influence of the Adriatic Sea in the south. These forces converge to create a slow-ripening Pinot Grigio that has much more than typical citrusy brightness. This wine is far more complex, with a beautiful and layered palate with notes of ginger and freshly cut green pineapple, plus an irresistible creamy texture.

As we sipped our wine with the warm Italian sun on our faces, we couldn’t help but be struck by the area’s austere, gravelly soil. (The DOC’s name is Friuli Grave, after all.) For a moment we thought we had taken the wrong flight and ended up in Bordeaux’s Left Bank. This soil type does more than stress the vines to create more intense flavors. It absorbs the night’s chill and the day’s warmth, which helps moderate the temperatures around the grapes and ensure even ripening. A wine with such a deliciously distinct character could only come from an equally distinct soil.

It’s also impossible to discount the impact of 2001 Wine Enthusiast Winemaker of the Year Riccardo Cotarella, who has been compared to Michel Rolland given his influence in Italy and beyond. Known as “the Wizard” in wine circles, Cotarella began his career raising the profile of regions that had little to no reputation in Italy or in the rest of the wine world. That same mindset colors his work in Friuli Grave, where he has raised the profile of Pinot Grigio to quality levels we don’t often see in the region. His obsessive attention to detail has given us a blockbuster summer white that we are thrilled to be able to share with you.

Each time we crack open a bottle of the 2018 Borgo Magredo Pinot Grigio, we find ourselves transported to that unforgettable day in Friuli Grave, enjoying our lunch of freshly grilled fish and the stunning views. Given this wine’s complexity, pedigree, and price, we suggest clearing some space in the cellar and filling it with this delicious example of how dazzling Pinot Grigio can be.