The Radoar (“RAD-oh-are”) family farmstead has existed for 700 years, having been handed down across no less than fifteen generations. The property is located 25 miles south of the Austrian border in the small village of Feldthurns, Italy. This is Italy’s German speaking alpine region of Alto Adige, also known as the Südtirol, if you’re local. The primary focus of the Radoar family’s work for hundreds of years has been growing various local heirloom sub-varieties of Golden Delicious apples—the fruit of which is used to make cider, apple sauce and pies sold out of the family’s small inn and ski lodge. They also have a small herd of cattle, a field of cereal grains for bread and a few small groves of stone fruit and walnut trees. It’s a breathtaking and idyllic mountainscape. However, the real hidden jewel of the Radoar property is a tiny vineyard that is one mile uphill from the homestead at 3,000 feet elevation in the snowcapped Dolomites. Here, the family grows certified organic Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Kerner, and a few rows of deliciously electric Müller-Thurgau, which we are featuring today.
“Müller,” as it’s often referred to, is a genetic cross of Riesling and the more obscure variety Madeleine Royale. The grape offers the familiar laser sharp acidity and minerality of Riesling, but wed with an unmistakably luscious and round stone fruit quality. This region is widely recognized for producing outstanding Müller-Thurgau and the Radoar family’s bottling is perhaps the most elegant and serious example of the variety that I have ever tasted. This is a wonderful wine, and particularly so in the 2013 vintage.
In the glass, the 2013 Radoar Müller-Thurgau “Etza” bares all the hallmarks of a cooler climate, alpine white: a pale and almost green center transitioning to a translucent rim. It is alive and juicy on the palate with alternating currents of bright citrus acidity and cool minerality sitting on a blanket of soft stone fruit. I continually return to the analogy of biting into a fresh apricot or peach when I’m drinking this delicious, thirst-quenching wine. With a freshness that opens the palate and whets the appetite, this is a brilliant first bottle with which to begin almost any meal. It is also a wonderful companion to autumn vegetable preparations and lighter Asian inspired dishes. I recommend serving this vintage at 55 degrees in a large Bordeaux stem. Finally, I’ll note that despite this wine’s ample freshness and acidity, it is not built for extended cellar aging. It should be enjoyed in the next 12-18 months—there are a mere 25 cases available for the entire country so time is of the essence!
