Cantina Kurtatsch, Alto Adige (Italy) Pinot Grigio 2020

 So, you ask, why would Franz be recommending Pinot Grigio from 2020, when North America is awash with the fresher 2021 vintage?  Good question, the answer to which is that top producers who aren’t cashing in on the popularity of Pinot Grigio but who actually try to make something memorable — out of a grape that is usually just fodder for mindless patio sipping — make wines that are actually better in the year after their initial release.  Producers in Alto Adige are seriously over-represented in the group of producers who fit that description (only Collio comes close), and Cantina Kurtatsch deserves to be much better known for its excellent wines — such as this one.  Medium-bodied rather than light and watery, this shows lovely fruit recalling white melons and stone fruits with a citrus edge, all very nicely integrated at this stage in the wine’s development.  Wonderful now as a sipping wine but with not the slightest sign of cracking up, this is a serious wine that can suit a very wide range of purposes.  Impressive.