2024 Erste + Neue Kalterersee Classico
Erste + Neue translates to “First + New,” a name that tells the story of a merger between two historic
Producer
Erste + Neue
I have reviewed one wine from Erste + Neue: the 2024 Erste + Neue Kalterersee Classico (90 points).
Erste + Neue (First + New) is a historic pillar of Kaltern (Caldaro) and a shining example of the quality of Alto Adige’s cooperatives. It was formed by the merger of two cellars, the “First” founded in 1900 and the “New” in 1925. Here the cooperative model means exceptional quality: hundreds of small family plots, spread across a mosaic of microclimates, are vinified with modern technology while preserving the agricultural fabric of South Tyrol.
The white wines, particularly Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc, are defined by alpine crispness, bright aromatics and crystalline purity.
The estate has also stayed true to Schiava (Vernatsch), for centuries the everyday wine of the region, protecting the old pergola-trained vines around Lake Caldaro, the warmest area of Alto Adige, where cypresses grow alongside alpine firs. The Kalterersee Classico is light and low in tannin, made to be drunk young and fresh: a delicious piece of Tyrolean history in a glass.