2015 Peter Zemmer Pinot Grigio Alto Adige

Peter Zemmer Pinot Grigio: House Cured Ora Salmon at Gotham Bar and Grill

New York diners have long been obsessed with “What’s new?” We’d need lots more fingers and toes to count all the hot spots that came and went in the blink of an eye. But there are outliers that survive and thrive, like Le Bernardin on 51st Street and Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern. None is more extraordinary than Gotham Bar and Grill, which first opened its doors in 1984 and this year was named Best American Restaurant in NYC by Zagat.

Alfred Portale arrived at Gotham just a year after the opening. He continues to shine as brightly as any chef in town, marrying traditional French cuisine with new wave Americana. Even if the starched white table cloths and the well-clad clientele often make us feel out of place, there’s not a bar stool in town more precious than those at 12 E. 12th Street. The mineral whites that accompany Gotham’s small plates are meticulously chosen. Some are obscure, some household names.

And then there’s the case of Peter Zemmer’s chiseled Pinot Grigio, drawn from the southern quadrant of Alto Adige, where Italy’s most fleshy and luscious Northern whites are drawn. Ripe, juicy, and finely textured, Zemmer’s mouthwatering Pinot Grigio not only enhanced our favorite Wild Striped Bass Ceviche and Portale’s to-die-for House Cured Ora King Salmon — it also raised the three-time James Beard Award-winning restaurant to new heights.

We don’t usually write about Pinot Grigio. How come? Most Pinot Grigio is insipid, drawn from overcropped vineyards where this wild, racy variety never reaches full maturity. Silvio Jermann’s rendering, drawn from the rugged soils of Friuli Venezia Giulia, is one of just a few counterexamples.

Another is Peter Zemmer’s Pinot Grigio of Alto Adige, though it differs dramatically from Jermann’s. At the northern tip of the DOC, as you head towards the Dolomites, the variety tends to be austere, requiring several years of bottle age to fully emerge from its shell. But as you travel south, just short of the Trentino line, the soils are somewhat deeper and richer, the microclimate warmer, and, in top cellars like Zemmer’s, Pinot Grigio fattens up, taking on a decidedly more Alsatian complexion.

In what Antonio Galloni described as a “classic” 2015 vintage in Alto Adige, Zemmer had a field day, as his Pinot Grigio vines ripened evenly and effortlessly. Conditions were warm and dry, allowing harvest to go off without a hitch. Vinified entirely in stainless steel tanks to preserve zesty acidity and vibrancy, Zemmer crafted a magnificent wine that cuts Portale’s ceviche like a stiletto, while fattening up and highlighting the mouth-watering saltiness of the cured salmon.

Pale green-gold. Piercing aromas of ripe pear, Granny Smith apple, apricot, and honey laced with wet-stone minerality. Rich and slightly creamy on the attack, but restrained, showing none of the ponderousness of so many Alsatian Pinot Gris, the core is tantalizing — fresh, juicy, and light on its feet — finishing with excellent persistence and penetration.

At Gotham Bar and Grill, a bottle of Zemmer Pinot Grigio, the Wild Striped Bass Ceviche, and Cured Salmon would set you back $112 before tip — and be worth every cent. Alternatively, hold the fish, and pick up a bottle of one of the most delicious Italian white bargains WineAccess has to offer for just $13.99/bottle. You make the call.

• ABV 13.50%
• Enjoy right away
• % Pinot Grigio