🍝VIVA ITALIA 🍝

Hey,

Fionn again this Thursday. As per Megan’s Tuesday email, we had a glorious tasting last week meaning lots of new wine. It was hard not to take the lot as everything was just singing. I even checked my silly biodynamic calendar app to see if it was a fruit day (good for wine) or something. It happened to be a root day (bad for wine). So I guess that was a waste of a fiver! Anyway enough on the biodynamic calendar and onto the wine…

First up, we picked up a pair of beautiful bottles from Valdisole. A young and talented couple who met while doing their wine studies. Real shame my WSET didn’t pan out like that! After being bitten by the bug and falling in love they bought some vines off a second-hand site on the good old internet and the rest is history. They are nestled in the Roero hills and make fun, experimental wines that play by their own rules. Amos is one of the most joyous Nebbiolos I’ve come across. Nebb can be too big and serious sometimes, but this take is more fine wine meets fun wine. Approachable juicy fruit with lots of floral finesse. Some beautifully soft, easygoing tannins are perfectly interwoven alongside some nice acidity to keep things balanced. A wine that will just make you smile! Moving fast too…

We also got their Aura. A skinsy number that has just as much instant gratification going for it. Moscato catches a lot of shade in the wine world, its overtly grapey aromas can often veer into a sickly, sticky cliff. But, when done right there are few other grapes so immediately inviting. This has all the signature florals just without the sugar and with an insane amount of texture. Judging by the colour you’d have never guessed this spent nine months on its skins. However, this becomes pretty obvious on the palate where you have just enough grip to keep those florals in check. Aromatic whites are my guilty pleasure but this is one I don't have to feel so guilty about.

If you want your Skinsy stuff bold and bracing then look no further than Lustro. Cataratto from my favourite Island of Pantelleria. You know? That little bit of volcanic rock sandwiched between Sicily and Tunisia where lots of silly-priced, hyped-up wines with cool labels come from. Well yeah, this is the real deal and at a reasonable price for once. The guy even worked for a decade at the winery hinted at above so you know this is the one. Cataratto shines on its skins. It goes from neutral Italian white without them to otherworldly orange beast with them. This was so intense. My tasting notes were wild. Citrus? Bergamot was the pretentious fruit that came to mind when tasting alongside Earl Grey and peachy iced tea. A long honeyed finish but still so fresh with its acidity and texture turned up to 11. Heady, in the best possible way.

Whilst in Sicily, we also grabbed this stunner from Gustinella! We love all things Mt. Etna here so were pumped to happen upon this insanely talented new producer. This is her first vintage and what a way to kickstart your wine-making career! Idk if this was beginner's luck but this is a cut above the rest. Mainly Grenazzu, what we call Grenache, and a few other Sicilian varieties that are over a hundred years old, grown at over 1000m above sea level!!! One of the most pure fruited wines I’ve ever tasted. So much morello cherry upfront but as the wine unfurls you get herbal nuance and an ethereal earthiness that only Etna’s soils can bring. Super super limited. Only 6 cases made it to the UK and luckily for you lot we took one of them. One to watch but not to dwindle over. 

Also, a customer got in touch asking us to source this beauty from Didier Grappe. A pretty smart winemaker who I personally adore. Not just because he bottles under screwcap for our convenience, but also because he makes delightful wines sans soufre. He rarely makes reds, I've never seen them outside of France but this is a juicy Jurassic blend that is a little more than just glou-glou. Check it out. On that note, I love sourcing delicious wines for you lovely people so if there is anything in particular you’re after flick us an email and I’ll do my best! I love a challenge ;)

ALSO, new tasting with Fedellos next month! As ever gonna be a blast, tix here.

Ok ok, enough chit-chat.

Take it easy,
Fionn
XOXO