Chardonnay Caliz – 2024

2024 Chardonnay Caliz from Cantina Kurtatsch, from cool sites

The 2024 Chardonnay Caliz from Cantina Kurtatsch is a dry white wine from South Tyrol, grown where the evening downdraft cools the nights. Not a heavy Chardonnay from a warm plain, but a taut representative of its variety with clear fruit.

The 2024 Chardonnay Caliz from Cantina Kurtatsch is a South Tyrolean white wine from the Selection line in a 750-milliliter bottle. The vines grow in airy mountain sites between 250 and 400 meters around the village of Kurtatsch in the Adige Valley. With 13.0 percent alcohol, the young vintage remains lively and places the fruit clearly before the power.

Yellow apple, lemon, and a taut thread

Light straw yellow in the glass, and on the nose, yellow apple comes first, followed by lemon and finally a hint of white blossom. The aroma remains light and never pushes itself to the forefront.

On the palate, the acidity leads, but it does not bite; instead, it runs through the entire glass like a taut thread. The fruit remains clearly defined rather than opulent, and the finish features a chalky, almost salty tone.

Those who previously thought Chardonnay was heavy and buttery will find the opposite here, as this wine remains lively until the very last sip. The power here lies in the tension, not in the richness.

With pan-fried zander and herb risotto

Pan-fried zander and a risotto with herbs are its favorite companions at the table because both remain delicate and do not mask it.

A potato gratin, young cheese from a dairy farmer, and a fennel salad also pair well. A platter of raw fish also finds enough support alongside it. With grilled vegetables, its acidity does the work usually performed by a squeeze of lemon. Served at 10 to 12 degrees.

If you prefer to set the table without alcohol, you will find the non-alcoholic grape juice from the same house, and further South Tyrolean producers are available from the Eggerhof of South Tyrol.

The mountain downdraft cools the nights

Around Kurtatsch, cool air flows from the slopes into the valley in the evening, and this wind is the real reason for the freshness in the glass.

Because the nights remain cool, the grapes ripen more slowly and the aromas have time to develop without the sugar racing ahead. The light gravel soil with a high proportion of dolomite limestone does the rest, as it stores little heat and gives the wine its chalky base note. Between day and night, there is a temperature difference in summer that the grape carries over.

Chardonnay likes exactly these conditions—calcareous soil and a cool climate—and in South Tyrol, the variety finds both on one and the same slope.

A bottle for the long table

A summer evening, more food is being served outside, and no one gets up because the conversation is just too good. The glass sits next to the bread basket and is casually refilled again and again.

The young vintage is ready to drink immediately, but will gain depth over the next three to four years. Those who want to experience both should buy two bottles and place one in the back of the shelf. Further wines from the south of South Tyrol can be found in the Cantina Kurtatsch range. Cool nights, clear choice.

Origin, values, and awards

• Origin: Wine from Italy
• Region: South Tyrol - Alto Adige DOC
• Grape variety: Chardonnay
• 13.0% vol. alcohol
• 6.0 g/l acidity
• 2.5 g/l residual sugar
• Awards 2024: 90 points James Suckling, 89 points Vinum, 16.5 points Jancisrobinson.com