Kaltern

Pinot Bianco 'Vial' 2021

90

The 2021 Pinot Bianco Vial is floral yet earthy in the glass. Flowery undergrowth, crushed pear and stone aromas form its bouquet. This is round and supple on the palate, offsetting its ripe orchard fruits with cooling minerality. The Vial finishes fresh and medium in length, with a savory spice hint that lingers. Drinking window: 2023-2025

Kaltern

Pinot Bianco 'Vial' 2020

93

In this edition of 50,000 bottles, the 2020 Alto Adige Pinot Bianco Vial presents a classic expression of this excellent winemaking region in the far north of Italy. The wine represents an ideal match of grape variety and territory with a clear and exacting bouquet, followed by good dimension and firmness. The rather neutral personality of the aromas, with white peach, honey and pear, makes this wine ideal to serve with a delicate fish or crabmeat. Pretty notes of crushed white rock help to extend the mouthfeel, add momentum and conjure up visions of the Dolomite cliffs.

Kaltern

Pinot Bianco 'Vial' 2020

92

I’ve also tasted the three vintages of this wine leading up to this release from 2019, and all were excellent. Kaltern is a co-op, but co-ops are hardly all of one piece, and this is an excellent one. Medium-bodied and full of flavor, this is nevertheless still subtle and extremely well integrated, and in these respects, this is a classic rendition of the category. The fact that this wine is so consistently good is surely explained in part by the fact that there’s an entry-level wine one click down from this one, without the proprietary name of “Vial,” so the winemaking team can reserve the best juice for this bottling. With that noted, however, the entry-level wine from the 2020 vintage was also very good when I tasted it several months ago, so try that when you can.