2023 Castelfeder Pinot Grigio Mont Mes Vigneti delle Dolomiti 750 ml

In the foothills of Italy’s towering Dolomites, the Giovanett family toils over estate vines watered by pristine mountain snowmelt—and bottle by bottle, they’re making some of the most compelling white wines in Italy’s Alto Adige region.

The 2023 Castelfeder Mont Mes Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti proves there’s a mountain-sized gap between run-of-the-mill Pinot Grigio and impeccably made examples grown in EXACTLY the right places. With enticing notes of lemon zest and chamomile on the nose, and an electric acidity that leaves your mouth watering, this wine will redefine what you know about the grape.

Italian-wine guru and writer Ian D’Agata once said Alto Adige arguably makes Italy’s best white wines, and this bargain bottle bolsters his case. Restaurants like Napa Valley’s Bottega and Los Angeles’ Bar Toscana have relied on the Mont Mes for its easy, delicious rapport with everything from burrata to carbonara. 

Castelfeder was founded by Alfons Giovanett in 1969, taken over by his son Gunter in 1989, and has now been entrusted to the third generation of the family: Ines (sales) and Ivan (winemaking). Today, Castelfeder produces what is, in our estimation, one of the most enviable portfolios of white wines in Italy.

The beauty of the Castelfeder estate nearly defies belief. As Alfons, Günther, Sandra, Ivan, and Ines gave us a tour, we found a photo-worthy view at every turn. Sitting close to 3,000 feet in elevation—almost double that of the highest vineyard sites in Napa Valley—rows upon rows of neatly tended vines climb sheer rock that shoots upwards of 300 feet. Through sustainable farming and impeccable winemaking, Castelfeder translates their estate’s stunning beauty into the glass.