Grape blend: Chardonnay, Viognier
Aged: 10 months in Tonneaux
Alcohol content: 14% vol
Acidity: 5.1 g/l
Residual sugars: 0.76 g/l
An unusual white, aged in wood and bottled with its valuable yeasts, which give it integrity of aromas, creaminess and body, and keep it “healthy” as time passes (protecting it from oxidation naturally). To mitigate the effects that the hot weather has on the grapes (an acid “shoulder”, that’s to say freshness, is vital for white wines), we began an experiment in the vineyards. The grass growing between the rows was flattened with a roller to create a sort of mulch; the ground, which was thereby protected, was about 10 °C cooler, all to the benefit of the vines and grapes. The 2 base wines were blended after ageing separately for 10 months in oak tonneaux on the noble lees; after roughly a month, the wine was bottled with those lees, without undergoing filtration.
Tasting – Colour: raw gold, opalescent, natural. The nose: intense and potent, exotic fruit, vanilla, sugary, buttery, with hints of sweet citron. In the mouth: harmonious, assertively aromatic, with a pleasant, very delicate woody aftertaste.
Wine and Food Pairing – Rich, full-bodied and intense, it goes with fragrant, flavoursome dishes such as fish “in guazzetto”, Cacciucco or Bouillabaisse. It also appreciates the company of fried vegetables, dishes from “far away places” – with curry, ginger and turmeric – or cuscus with fish. Alternative pairing: instead of red wine, with ossobuco “alla Milanese” and saffron risotto.
Awards – 92/100 points for the 2021 vintage at the AWC International Wine Challenge 2023, Vienna, Austria – 90/100 points for the 2021 vintage at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023, London.