Elena Walch Vigna Castel Ringberg Pinot Grigio 2019

93 James Suckling
A white with sliced apples, minerals and hints of honey. Some floral notes, too. Its full, yet lively and energetic. Flint and honey to the fruit at the end. Serious.

Named for the Renaissance castle built there by Habsburgs in 1620 and rising up from Lake Caldaro in alternating moderate and steep slopes, the Vigna ‘Castel Ringberg’ is a crown jewel of the region and a monopole for Elena Walch, from where many of her award-winning, mineral-driven wines emanate. The termVignais an additional denomination of origin, recognizing a precisely demarcated and cartographically recorded single vineyard.

In addition to variable altitudes from 330 to 400 meters above sea level, Vigna Castel Ringberg also boasts a multiplicity of soils. The higher perches, climbing into the Mendel ridge of the Dolomites, are of 30,000 year old glacial Adige River gravel, while calcareous soils with morainic substrata join loose limestone in gentler lower zones. The moderating influence of the lake and the strong afternoon drying southerly wind known as Ora also contribute to the balanced, elegant character of the wines, from a host of native and international varieties.