Elena Walch 'Kristallberg' Pinot Bianco DOC 2022
(Trentino Alto Adige, Italy)

About the Winery:

Elena Walch is a 5-generation family-run estate in Alto Adige, a region in the North-East part of Italy, that led the wine quality revolution in the area and has gained a prominent international reputation.

An architect by trade, Elena Walch married into one of the oldest and most significant wine families of the region and brought new, modern concepts to the traditional approach. Today, the responsibility for the family business is in the hands of the Elena’s daughters, Julia and Karoline.

With 90 hectares of vines, including the two most representative, VIGNA Castel Ringberg in Caldaro und VIGNA Kastelaz in Tramin, Elena Walch is one of the most important producers in Alto Adige.

The estate is internationally respected for varietal wines sourced from multiple proprietary locations, ‘Vigna’ wines from some of the most acclaimed sites in the valley and award-winning, top cuvees such as the renowned “Beyond the Clouds.”

About the Wine:

The Pinot Bianco “Kristallberg” has been part of the Elena Walch portfolio since 2015. The goal is to find the best terroir for each grape variety, allowing for the creation of complex wines. The value of having vineyards in varied locations, altitudes, and exposures within a single estate is immeasurable, as it allows for the unique characteristics of each wine to shine through.

Vineyard Profile

Climate change challenges winemakers, as shown in our Pinot Bianco production. We’ve bought a vineyard at 600m altitude between Tramin and Kaltern to ensure future fresh Pinot Bianco. The new “Kristallberg” Pinot Bianco, from these high-altitude vineyards, exhibits its complex, vertical, and mineral typicity.

Vinification

Gentle pressing, followed by static clarification through refrigeration of the must. Fermentation partially occurs in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 20°C. 40% of the fermentation happens in medium oak casks of 25 hl each, while 20% occurs in French barrique barrels. The rest ferments and matures in stainless steel for another five months. The assemblage is then carried out in the summer of the following year.

Aging: 10 days in stainless steel tanks, then maturation in large wooden barrels

Alcohol: 13.5%

Tasting Notes:
“Our Pinot Bianco ‘Kristallberg’ is a mineral-rich wine. It has a bright, fresh straw yellow color and a fruity aroma with fresh pears and white stone fruits. It also has spicy notes with green walnuts and smoky and mineral aromas in the background. This wine is elegant on the palate but also has a juicy freshness, youthful vitality, and stirring acidity. This partially barrel-fermented wine is an exciting new addition!” –Elena Walch

91 Points - Decanter (2021 Vintage):

"Kristallberg represents a high-altitude selection of Pinot Bianco from vines grown in several vineyards located between Tramin and Kaltern at around 600 metres above sea level. 40% ferments and matures in stainless steel, 40% in 25hl oak casks, and 20% in French oak barriques. The result is a white with aromas of stone fruits, hay and a distinct stoniness. In the mouth it's clean, fresh and bright, with flavours of apple, stone fruits and spice which mingle with a touch of honeysuckle. There's good intensity, and a lovely mineral-laced acidity which extends the finish." Drink 2023-2027. - James Button (April 2023)