White wines from La Staffa, Fontanafredda and Rocca di Montemassi

This time I have one new wine and two wines with a new vintage.

First up is the new experience and that is the wine Verdicchio from La Staffa. This wine is produced by Ricardo Baldi who is a wine producer near the village of Staffolo in the Marche region and makes about 2500 cases of wine a year. This Verdicchio is of the vintage 2017 and the ABV is 13%. This is a very fresh Verdicchio. I get apples and minerals in the taste. Probably the best Verdicchio that I have ever tasted.

Next up is one favourite producer for me, namely Fontanafredda situated in Piemonte. I have tasted this wine before but it was another vintage. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. This is a white wine made of the grapes Chardonnay and Nascetta. Being a rare grape is true of Nascetta as at one time it was only grown around the hamlet of Novello in Piemonte. Now it is more spread around in Piemonte.How is the taste? It is a very fresh wine with some tropical fruit, honey, apple and some acidity. As last time it was very good.

Driving from Montalcino towards Pitigliano in southern Tuscany one passes by the town of Montemassi. It is situated on top of a hill and is dominated by old Rocca (castle) looming over the village. Here they produce a wine called Calasole made of Vermentino.I have tasted several vintages of this wine such as 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 and they have all been good. The 2018 vintage gives me green apple, papaua, citrus ad some almonds in the taste. A very fresh and fruity wine. This is the best vintage that I have tasted from this producer.

Wine made of rare native grapes from northern Italy

Two regions in the north of Italy are Piemonte and the small neighbouring mountainous region of  Vallee D'Aoste. They both have a lot of grapes which are native of that region.

First out is the wine Marin from producer Fontanafredda in the Langhe area of Piemonte. This is a white wine made of the grapes Chardonnay and Nascetta. Being a rare grape is true of Nascetta as at one time it was only grown around the hamlet of Novello in Piemonte. Now it is more spread around in Piemonte. The wine Marin is fresh and clear and taste of honey, some citrus and some oak. A very good wine. Next time I will try to get a wine that only consists of Nascetta.

A regions that has a lot of naive grape is the small small mountainous region of  Vallee D'Aoste. The wine Torette superieur  from producer Grosjean. It consists of the rare grapes Petit Rogue, Furmin, Cornalin and Premetta. All native grapes of Vallee D'Aoste. This wine has a good strong taste with a long after taste, very good.