Sometimes you drink a wine that rivets your attention as you drink it. It opens you up to new possibilities not only of taste and character but of a region or a grape. Or, in this case, a blend of grapes. A blend of some grapes, indeed, which I have recently scorned. (Love it, folks: me hoisted on me own petard.)
I first had this wine just about a year ago at the urging of Gabrio Tosti of De Vino on the Lower East Side. I loved it and wrote about it on these hallowed digital pages.
I've had it several times since then, and each time I've been impressed by the wine's depth and complexity -- at a moderate price. It also does a fair amount to rehabilitate the lowly reputation of wine from Latium, which is too often identified only with the inconsequential wines of Frascati in the trattorias of Rome.
Further, a friend had a big birthday a few month ago and with Gabrio's help I put together an all-Italian wine list for the party. This white was a big part of the order, and I hear it was a very big hit with the guests -- people who are usually, I think, more comfortable with French wine than with Italian.
This wine is composed of a blend of 50% Verdicchio, 25% Trebbiano Toscano and 25% Grechetto. It has just 12.5% alcohol, which makes the wine mild and easy to drink on its own or with food; and it has a specially deep, almost nutty flavour that calls to mind the Arbois gems of Jacques Puffeney. The colour is correspondingly deep and golden, and perhaps a tad cloudy. The farm is run on organic principles, with the wine's seeing minimal sulphur or filtration. This is as far from an "international" or standardized wine as you can imagine. At the same time, I do not believe that it's an acquired taste, as my friends' responses told me.
Any guesses as to the identity of this wine? I did post something about it.
Hint: the son of a very well-regarded winemaker from central Italy is the enologo behind this one. Bravo!
hmmmm...
sounds like 'nun' of the above... (couldn't help the nun pun - sorry)
my guess would be the Monastero Suore Cistercensi 'Coenobium' made by the nuns and Bea, and there is a little Malvasia too?
I love it also - so much fennel... grilled sardines would be delicious with it.
I hear they make great jam that is sold at ag ferrari I think?
Posted by: Ceri | August 27, 2008 at 01:14 AM
Very good, Ceri. Yes, that's the wine. The 2005 had no Malvasia, but maybe other vintages have a bit.
Posted by: Strappo | August 27, 2008 at 08:35 AM
Ceri had a very good mentor...
Thanks for the mention Strappo.
Posted by: Gabrio Tosti | August 27, 2008 at 01:27 PM
that was a great wine. (i was there.)
Posted by: Fredric Koeppel | August 27, 2008 at 05:14 PM
I wish I'd been able to make it to the party. Julie loved it too, as she tells me.
Posted by: Strappo | August 27, 2008 at 05:15 PM