Tasting 14th March

This Thursday, the first round is extremely fragrant: in Emilia-Romagna, Stefano Pescarmona is producing traditional sparkling wines. The same Podere Magia winery is producing an incredibly fresh and funky Spergola. Traditional fermentation directly in the bottle, medium-bodied and very, very expressive. A truly festive start to the tasting!

Now we’re heading south towards Abruzzo with perhaps not the most typical varieties in Abruzzo, but Zeus Faber 2021 is a beautiful expression of these two grapes that one normally finds in Northern parts of Italy: Tocai Friulano and sauvignon blanc. The winemaking of Lammidia is similar to the other whites, with a short skin contact. Zeus Faber is however ripped on the fruit, still with the right acidity, but a more ample palate with body and curves. There's peaches, yellow flowers and a tea-alike herbal finish.

In the Thermenregion, 1990, Peppi Piriwe took over the management of the winery, which a few years later already included more than nine hectares of the best vineyards around Traiskirchen, Pfaffstätten and Gumpoldskirchen. Focusing on indigenous grapes, this Neuburger, Zierfandler is a good example of what Peppi can produce. Nulla, an elegant orange wine, with an intense robe and fine aromas of green tea, yellow pear. With an elegant acid structure on the palate with a fine-tart finish.

Now to Sardinia: From the old vineyards in the central south of Sardinia, new wines with creative labels and different names inspired by the vintage are produced every year. Francesco Mancas approach to wine is strictly purist, with nothing added from the grapes to the bottle. His range comprises around ten wines - almost exclusively cuvées - with names borrowed from the local dialect. Alvax 2021 is a cuvée made of Retallada, Vernaccia, Nuragus, Seminano, Vermentino and Malvasia. Fermented in steel tank, Alvax is full of spice and herbaceousness, reminiscent of apricots, smoke, the forest and dried flowers, but also has citrus freshness and salinity, due to its proximity to the sea.

Last but not least, we’re heading to Gavi, Piemonte. No compromises, wines with great character, which become increasingly important over the years - that sums up Cascina Degli Ulivi pretty well. You can't get past them if you really want to understand what a truly natural wine is. And Semplicemente Rosso is a great example of what natural wine is: made of Barbera and Dolcetto releases ripe fruit and floral notes. In the mouth it is intense, full-bodied and at the same time soft and delicate It stands out for its frankness and slightly spicy finish.