Falkenstein (Franz Pratzner)
Pinot Bianco Weissburgunder 2022
| Denomination | DOC Alto Adige Valle Venosta Pinot Bianco |
|---|---|
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 13.0% by volume |
| Area | Trentino Alto Adige (Italy) |
| Grape varieties | 100% Pinot Bianco |
| Aging | Ageing for 10 months in large acacia barrels, then for a further 12 months in bottle. |
- Vintage and variety: 100% Pinot Bianco Alto Adige DOC 2022, 13% vol
- Ageing: 10 months on the lees in large acacia barrels, followed by 12 months in bottle
- Aromas: Apple, pear, white flowers, citrus and saline notes
- Taste profile: Dry, rich and balanced, with lively acidity and pronounced minerality
- Rating and longevity: 91 points James Suckling; ageing potential of 3-5 years
Description
What kind of wine it is
Falkenstein's Pinot Bianco is a still dry white wine, a true expression of Alto Adige. It displays an intense straw yellow hue, releasing aromas of apple, pear, white flowers, citrus fruits and saline notes. On the palate, it reveals a rich and enveloping structure, supported by a crisp acidity and a pronounced mineral backbone that leads to a long and expressive finish. This innate elegance makes it excellent with fish carpaccio, grilled river fish, shellfish and roast poultry.
Where it comes from
This Pinot Bianco originates in Val Venosta, a mountainous area characterised by challenging heroic viticulture. The steep, rocky vineyards, situated over six hundred metres above sea level with extreme slopes, require exclusively manual work. The roots delve into schist soils dominated by phyllite, imparting the typical savoury tension to the glass. The cool and dry microclimate, with strong sunlight and marked temperature variations, ensures grapes with perfect aromatic purity.
How it is produced
The Falkenstein winery adopts measured vinification methods to enhance the varietal. After careful selection, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in large acacia barrels, allowing for a slow and steady evolution. This is followed by ten months of maturation on the lees in the same barrels, a stage that enriches the softness without masking the primary aromas. A further twelve months of bottle ageing completes the process, delivering a deep, harmonious sip with marked personality.
History and Curiosities
Founded in 1995 in Naturno, the family-run Falkenstein winery is dedicated to heroic viticulture in Val Venosta, manually tending vineyards on steep, schistose soils at over 600 metres above sea level. Their deep respect for the environment continues in the atmospheric cellar carved into the rock, where only minimal and essential interventions are made. This 2022 Pinot Bianco matures on the lees in large acacia barrels and rests for a year in the bottle. A wine with a vibrant character, it was awarded 91 points by James Suckling.
Awards
-
2022
91/100
James Suckling is an influential American wine critic and journalist who worked at Wine Spectator for 30 years. He left the magazine in 2010 to start his own website and guidebook (JamesSuckling.com). He specialises in Italian and Bordeaux wines.
Tasting notes
Perfume
Color
Taste
Serve at:
12 - 14 °C
Longevity:
03 - 05 years
Decanting time:
1 hour
- Start up year: 1995
- Oenologist: Magdalena e Franz Pratzner
- Bottles produced: 90.000
- Hectares: 12
A dream that does not come by chance: it is in fact here that in the past Schiava grapes were pressed for the family Inn. There are mentions of the Falkenstein wine region and the vineyard dating back to the 12th century, and the Pratzner family can celebrate more than two hundred years of existence.
A traditional outlook and attention to detail. These are words full of meaning for the Pratzner family. The constant daily activities are based on manual work, with the machines only there to provide support. Since 2003, all the wines are vinified in the new cellar. White wines age in large acacia wood casks in the cellar carved into the rock.
Wine is the reflection of the winemaker, and of the passion and philosophy with which the vine is treated. At the Falkenstein winery, we want to continue to produce naturally and to respect the environment. We remain faithful to our intergenerational motto: live in close contact with nature and appreciate it, but never underestimate it. Read more
| Name | Falkenstein Pinot Bianco Weissburgunder 2022 |
|---|---|
| Type | White still |
| Denomination | Alto Adige DOC |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 13.0% by volume |
| Grape varieties | 100% Pinot Bianco |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Trentino Alto Adige |
| Vendor | Falkenstein (Franz Pratzner) |
| Story | History and Curiosities Founded in 1995 in Naturno, the family-run Falkenstein winery is dedicated to heroic viticulture in Val Venosta, manually tending vineyards on steep, schistose soils at over 600 metres above sea level. Their deep respect for the environment continues in the atmospheric cellar carved into the rock, where only minimal and essential interventions are made. This 2022 Pinot Bianco matures on the lees in large acacia barrels and rests for a year in the bottle. A wine with a vibrant character, it was awarded 91 points by James Suckling. |
| Origin | Naturno (BZ) |
| Climate | Cool and dry microclimate with strong solar radiation and diurnal temperature range typical of high-altitude sites |
| Soil composition | Predominantly schist (soils dominated by phyllite) |
| Production technique | Temperature-controlled fermentation in large acacia wood barrels; ageing for 10 months on the lees in large acacia barrels and 12 months in the bottle |
| Wine making | Fermentation at controlled temperature in large acacia wood casks; aged for 10 months in large acacia casks, then for 12 months in bottle. |
| Aging | Ageing for 10 months in large acacia barrels, then for a further 12 months in bottle. |
| Total acidity | 6.2 gr/L |
| Residual sugar | 1.0 gr/L |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites |