Pinot Grigio – 2024

Young 2024 Pinot Grigio from the Cantina Kurtatsch cellar

The 2024 Pinot Grigio from Cantina Kurtatsch is a dry white wine from the South Tyrolean lowlands, fermented in stainless steel and then aged on the fine lees. It is neither a cuvée nor a crowd-pleaser, but a varietal Pinot Grigio with a lean stature and a creamy core.

The 2024 Pinot Grigio from Cantina Kurtatsch is a South Tyrolean white wine from the Selection line in a 750-milliliter bottle. The young vintage is leaner than its predecessor and feels noticeably lighter with 13.0 percent alcohol. What it lacks in weight, it makes up for with freshness and a salty length.

Green apple, pear, and white blossom

Pale yellow with a shimmer of green in the glass, the nose is led by green apple and pear, with white blossom in the background.

The first sip is straightforward and cool, without the fullness that older vintages display right from the start. Only in the middle does the creamy side appear, and the finish is long and slightly salty. Vinified dry, the sweetness remains merely a suggestion. Nothing about it is pushy, and that is exactly what makes it so pleasant at the table.

If you serve this wine too cold, you lose this very middle section, as the cold suppresses the texture and leaves only the acidity behind.

With vitello tonnato and young goat cheese

Vitello tonnato and young goat cheese are the quickest way to appreciate it, as both bring salt to the dish and the wine handles salt well.

Mussels in white wine, risotto with zucchini, and steamed cod also suit it well. A plate of green asparagus with brown butter is also well within its reach. It should be served at 9 to 11 degrees in a large glass, not a small one, because its bouquet needs room to breathe.

Those who prefer something more herbaceous will find it in the Sauvignon Blanc from the same cellar, and for the red wine drinker at the table, the light Grauvernatsch is ready.

Why it spends months on the fine lees

After fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel, the wine remains on its fine lees instead of being drawn off and bottled immediately.

The fine yeast particles slowly release compounds, which is exactly where that creamy middle comes from—the very thing that makes a lean Pinot Grigio round in the first place. It is stirred regularly so that the yeast doesn't just sit at the bottom of the tank and can actually do its work. How long this takes depends on the vintage and is continuously tasted in the cellar.

Cellar master Erwin Carli decides for each batch when it is enough, as too long on the lees would mask the clear varietal fruit. The previous 2023 vintage was awarded 91 points by James Suckling.

A lunch in the shade of the pergola

Outside it is bright and warm; on the table are bread, tomatoes, and a piece of cheese, and the bottle mists over immediately. The label remains simple, and the bottle sits naturally among the plates.

A young wine like this doesn't need years in the cellar, but a group to drink it up over the next two summers. More bottles from the south of South Tyrol can be found in the Cantina Kurtatsch assortment. Young, but not harmless.

Origin, values, and awards

• Origin Wine from Italy
• Region South Tyrol - Alto Adige DOC
• Grape variety Pinot Grigio
• 13.0% vol. alcohol
• 6.1 g/l acidity
• 2.5 g/l residual sugar
• Awards 2024: 90 points James Suckling
• "Here's a fantastic expression of Pinot Grigio…" Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast