This is a knife-and-fork white, broad and meaty, with a tension to its dense savor that makes it feel powerful and alive. The flavors, on the other hand, are cool and crisp, like green pears and apples, with a stoniness that adds depth. It comes from a parcel at the lower end of the Silberbichl vineyard where Michael Malat has found that pinot blanc thrives in the calcareous alluvial soils; he vinifies it on the lees in order to play up the mineral tones while retaining crispness and energy.
Circo Vino, Tucson, AZ
94
Malat 2018 Kremstal Am Zaum Pinot Blanc
$28
Every week, our editors highlight a wine that intrigued them in our blind panel tastings, expanding on their tasting note in this space. These are entirely editorial choices; there are no paid placements. Subscribers can also access the original tasting note by searching here.
is W&S’s editor at large and covers the wines of the Mediterranean and Central and Eastern Europe for the magazine.
This story appears in the print issue of April 2021.
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