The folks at San Michele Appiano (otherwise known as St. Michael Eppan in German) make some of the best Sauvignon Blanc you will find in Northern Italy. Their 2017 Alto Adige Sauvignon Sanct Valentin is a beautifully fresh and intense white wine that offers simplicity and informality as its most convincing attributes. Characteristic aromas of tropical and passion fruit show bold intensity in this warm vintage. You can count on that high-altitude mountain acidity to keep the wine light, crisp and fresh. Some 90% of the wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged on the fine lees until April following the harvest. That tiny remaining 10% quota is fermented and refined in oak. Bottle production is generous, with 140,000 units made.