2024 Kuenhof, Eisacktaler Sylvaner, Alto Adige

Kuenhof sits just south of Bressanone in the Valle Isarco, on steep terraced vineyards that climb roughly 1,800 to 2,900 feet. The estate has been in the Pliger family for generations, and Peter Pliger’s father was one of the early growers in the area to stop selling fruit and bottle independently. That matters here: Kuenhof is not just a good mountain white producer, it is part of the shift that helped establish Valle Isarco as a serious source of estate-bottled wines.

The Sylvaner grows on shallow quartz phyllite and slate soils, but the key is the town and valley position. Bressanone’s cool nights and mountain air keep the wine from getting heavy, even in a more powerful vintage like 2024. This has more depth and ageworthy structure than a typical Sylvaner, but still carries the alpine snap that makes these wines so useful at the table. Pear, stone fruit and herbs, with a dry, stony finish.