Blend: 100% Albana
From: Emilia-Romagne, Italy
Taste: This wine is so interesting and well-balanced that it blows the mind. Dry, medium-bodied with a rounded mouth texture, persistent acidity and forward limestone minerality. It finishes with just a touch of nuttiness and salinity. Aromas of parmesan, meadow, lime and fennel frond. Crisp and lux on the palette without being rich. Think lime zest, fuji apple, Himalayan salt, green cardamom pod.
Pairing: Superb food-friendly white! Enjoy it with a bowl of Carbonara and a fresh salad of bitter lettuces with shaved, salty cheeses.
This wine is all about showcasing Albana. An ancient grape not seen much outside of the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, the Albana dates back at least to 435 A.D. when the daughter of Roman emperor Theodosius II remarked that such a grape should be drunk in gold (bert in oro.) Today the town of Bertinoro lays at the heart of Albana di Romagna, the first region to achieve DOCG status in 1986. A thick-skinned varietal, Albana exhibits in dry form aromas and flavors of apricots, pineapple and honey. A sweet version is made from the passito method of drying the grapes before fermentation.
"Paolo Francesconi is the custodian of his vineyards: for him, it is essential to preserve the integrity of the soil, which is made up of a complex network of micro-organisms that allow the specific aromas and flavours of a territory to be transferred to the grapes". Slowine Guide, 2018.
