Pfitscher, Alto Adige / Südtirol DOC (Italy) Pinot Bianco “Longarei” 2022 ($25, Vera Wines & Spirits)

This is the first wine of any type or grape variety I’ve tasted from this producer, but it has gotten us off to a very good start. A bit of digging indicates that it is a family winery, whereas many Alto Adige producers with wines imported to the USA are cooperative wineries — albeit superb ones by global standards for such establishments. The house of Pfitscher turns out a broad range of wines including reds, sparklers, and still white wines such as this, which ranks among the region’s best — at least judging from this 2022 vintage release. It is truly medium-bodied, with good physical concentration and a ripe character and rounded texture, but also excellent acidity that energizes the ripe fruit flavors and provides fine refreshment value to the wine’s relatively dense mouthfeel. Classic flavor notes of pears, orchard fruits akin to nectarines, and ripe Golden apples are pure and delicious, with a persistent finish in which all of the fruit notes tail off evenly. If I am off on the score for this, I missed on the low side.
93 Michael Franz