WSJ: Pinot Grigio ratings

The Dow Jones Pinot Grigio Index

In a tasting of 2004 Pinot Grigio from Italy, these were our favorites. A few of these, such as the Conte Placido, are good sipping wines by the pool or bar, while others, such as the Lageder, would be good with chicken, pork, fish, grilled vegetables and spicy pastas. Four of these -- Lageder, Conte Placido, Kris and Tiefenbrunner -- are repeat favorites, and the Folonari was once among our favorites in a tasting of white jug wines. These are meant to be drunk young.

VINEYARD/VINTAGE	PRICE	RATING	TASTERS' COMMENTS
Alois Lageder 'Tòr Löwengang; Benefizium Porer' (Alto Adige)	$17.00*	Very Good	Best of tasting. A Pinot Grigio with stature. Classy, well-made and carefully thought-out, with good fruit, nice acidity and plenty of mineral underpinning.
Zenato (Delle Venezie)	$11.85	Very Good	Best value. Real guts, with earthiness, soul and even some weight. Bright, but with some underlying funkiness -- and we mean that in a positive way, because it gives it layers and depth.
Bortoluzzi (Borgo Tintor) (Venezia Giulia)	$16.55	Good/Very Good	So clean and fresh it's just about bracing. Simply lovely, and notably drier than many.
Conte Placido (Delle Venezie)	$9.00*	Good/Very Good	What many Pinot Grigio lovers are looking for: fresh, clean and juicy, mouth-watering and pure. A pleasant, unpretentious glass of white.
Folonari (Delle Venezie)	$8.85	Good/Very Good	Unusual. It reminded us of Muscadet in its earthiness, with nice acidity and some mouthfeel. Impressive, considering that they made 3,260,710 bottles.
Kris (Franz Haas) (Delle Venezie)	$11.95	Good/Very Good	Not a simple quaffer. Interestingly austere, with good fruit wound fairly tightly and some real stuff. Best with food.
Tiefenbrunner (Delle Venezie)	$14.99*	Good/Very Good	A vibrant-lemon lime nose just about reaches out and bites you. Fresh, lively and clean. Great with oysters.