Straw yellow dry white wine. This Grillo boasts a lively, fresh acidity, with floral hints and exotic fruit flavours.
Italy
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2018 Luigi Baudana, `Dragon` Langhe Bianco
LB201S18
Taste Notes:
41% Chardonnay , 30% Nascetta, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Riesling. The wine has perfumes of stone, flowers and summery grass with a slightly savoury note on the palate. The touches of Riesling and Nascetta add an extra hint of elegance, giving it a long refreshing finish. Dragon is a symbol of courage for Vajra, who experimented here with local and international white varietals in this fresh and perfumed white wine. It is a very unusual blend for the Barolo area: Chardonnay and Sauvignon with Nascetta and Riesling.
Vineyard:
The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc vineyards are located on the north-east shoulder of Cerretta Piani at mid-slope. A fold of this slope makes the plot cooler and more suitable for white grapes. Below the thin topsoil lies one of the oldest conglomerates of all Piemonte: 14-million-year-old Helvetian soil. The Nascetta is grown in the Comune of Novello, the birthplace of the variety, at the top of the Ravera hill. Vajra has always believed in sustainable farming and keeps the turf natural and green in the vineyard. Traditional pruning is practised as well as using the Guyot mixed system of trellising. Every phase of winemaking, starting in the vineyard, is carried out by hand. No irrigation is used, while green harvest is decided according to the vintage.
Vinification:
The grapes were hand harvested. Soft crushing was followed by up to 12 days of fermentation at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wine remained in stainless-steel tanks until bottling the following spring.
Producer:
This small estate has just over four hectares of vineyard, all in the commune of Serralunga d'Alba. Their tiny cellar is situated in the village of Baudana, while their vineyards are primarily in the 'crus' of Baudana and the highly regarded Cerretta. After 30 years running the winery, and without heirs to take over the business, Luigi and Fiorina Baudana took the difficult decision to sell. As part of his research, Luigi visited the Vajra winery incognito one day, and was so impressed with the way they dealt with people and communicated their philosophy that he rang Aldo soon afterwards to ask if he would be interested in buying the estate. A deal was soon done, and the Vajra family have run this estate alongside Luigi and Fiorina ever since. The first vintage was 2009 and from then onwards we can see the true expression of the new Luigi Baudana.
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2018 Cantine Belisario Verdicchio di Matelica, "Terre di Valbona"
BE401B18
Taste Notes:
100% Verdicchio. This lovely aromatic white is surprisingly full-bodied, with great balance between its crisp green apple character and the richer honey and lemon flavours. This wine is pale lemon in colour with a lovely aromatic and clean bouquet of acacia with a touch of honey. Surprisingly full-bodied, it shows great balance between its crisp green apple character and the richer honey and lemon flavours. The finish is dry and vibrant.
Vineyard:
The co-operative has 300 hectares of vineyards, 24 of which are organically cultivated. The Terre di Valbona is a blend of grapes selected from some of the best vineyards included in the co-op. The vineyards are situated on a south-facing hillside 350-450 metres above sea level.
Vinification:
The grapes were destemmed, softly pressed and clarified, then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 16ºC for a period of 20 days. After fermentation the wine was aged in large 300 hectolitre stainless steel vats for two months before bottling in January. The Terre di Valbona is unoaked to maximise freshness.
Producer:
The Cantine Belisario co-operative was founded in 1971. Today, it is the biggest producer of Verdicchio in the Matelica DOC, a smaller zone than Castello di Jesi. The climate here is more continental than in Castelli di Jesi and the combination of warm days and cool nights gives a longer growing season, and lovely aromatic qualities to the wines.
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Gran Passione Bianco
A lovely floral wine with hints of vanilla on the nose. On the palate it is dry, crisp and fresh with ripe fruit flavors which balance out the acidity perfectly.
Garganega and Pinot Bianco are cultivated in alluvial territories close to river Piave. The grapes are harvested separately during the first ten days of September. The Garganega is fermented at a temperature between 14 ° and 16 ° C in barriques, followed by a refining of 4 months. Whilst the Pinot Blanc is fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature and the refining involves frequent batonnage. Post fermentation the wines are blended and spend a short period of time in stainless steel before bottling.
Garganega: 60%
Pinot Bianco: 40%VEGAN
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Terlan Tradition Pinot Bianco
Clear pale yellow color with a slight greenish shimmer. On the nose this classic Pinot Bianco scores with crisp notes of pear mingling with aromas of raspberry and lime, plus a touch of camomile and lemon grass to round off the composition. Body and balance sum up the Pinot Blanc, which intrigues the palate with the fruit of the pear and quince aromas combined with a salty minerality. The wine tickles the tongue and goes on to deliver a persistent aftertaste.
"Pinot Bianco has always been one of the most important wines at Cantina Terlano; it lends powerful expression to the terroir where our grapes mature. As a varietal, the delicate and above all mineral Pinot Bianco, is a hallmark of the winery."
Rudi Kofler -
Vermentino Di Sardegna, Antonella Corda
AC101B19
The nose is fragrant and intense with aromas of peach and tropical fruit with aromatic hints of sage and capers.The aromas carry on to the palate where the refreshing acidity brightens the wine. The finish is long and lingering.
The fruits for this wine comes from Antonio Argiolas (Antonella Corda's grandfather and Sardinian famed viticulturist) favourite vineyard: Mitza Manna. This is a seven hectares vineyard at 200 meters above sea level. The soil here is marly limestone which helps maintaining freshness and the delicate aromas of Vermentino. Plants are trained with Guyot system and planted at a density of 4545 plants per hectare. The Mistral wind from the mediterranean sea has a favourable influence here by lowering the temperature and keeping the vines clean from fungal diseases.
Antonella Corda, the granddaughter of the famed viticulturalist Antonio Argiolas, founded her winery in 2010 after finishing her masters in viticulture and winemaking at the prestigious Edmund Mach Foundation. Her approach blends a proud, century-old family tradition of winemaking with ambition and innovation. Antonio, who lived to the age of 104, left Antonella two of his prized vineyards, located around the village of Serdiana, a few kilometres north of Cagliari. The mild climate, water availability and the rich calcareous soils here give the wines a unique character and a signature freshness. Antonella follows a sustainable approach and the vineyards are farmed organically.
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Vigneti del Vulture, `Pipoli` Greco/Fiano
VU101B15
Pale lemon in colour, with perfumes of tropical fruit and a touch of vegetal notes. Rich yet fresh with a lime zest character, which comes from the Greco fruit, balancing the richness. We love this wine with pasta & pesto.
VEGETARIAN
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Luma Grillo, Cantine Cellaro
CE0 119
Excellent to serve with light dishes or fish dishes, light risotto, cous cous and fish soup. Great with smoked fish and crab. Excellent aperitif.
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Nova Domus Riserva 2014
TE5217
Cantina Terlano is well known in Italian wine drinking circles for producing Italy’s longest lived white wines. Many memorable wines from the 1950s and 1960s, which rank amongst the greatest white wines of the world, were made here.
Fresh light yellow with slightly greenish nuances. This cuvée has a multifaceted structure with a hint of herbs and spices, including aniseed, mint and sage, as well as nuances of fruit aromas, especially apricot, mandarine, honeydew melon and passion fruit, all underpinned with salty mineral components. On the palate, Nova Domus is complex and delicate, offering a creamy softness in an interesting symbiosis with an aromatic minerality, and has the texture for a very long finish.
Works very well with caviar and a good pairing with grilled salmon steaks, fiorentina T-bone steaks, saltimbocca alla romana or braised knuckle of veal; also with a parmigiana with aubergines and truffle fondue.
Pinot Blanc: 60%
Chardonnay: 30%
Sauvignon Blanc: 10%
