Frascole
In Albis Sullebucce 2018

When I heard this was a skin-contact Trebbiano Toscana, I was suspicious, but curious. Trebbiano Toscana is one of the most widely planted and indistinguishable grapes in Italy. However, I have had some really good examples from low-yielding vines. But skin-contact? Who are they kidding?

This is a white that is given the kid-glove treatment. The vineyard was planted in 2008 at fairly high density (6500 vines per hectare), which severely limits yield and contributes to flavour intensity. The harvest is entirely manual and usually starts very early in the morning around the middle of October. Grapes are placed in small boxes (maximum content 15 kg ). Once they arrive to the cellar they are stemmed and placed in small cement vats. Here fermentation begins with wild yeasts, no sulfites and a maceration of several weeks (35-40 days). During this period the skins are gently pressed by hand everyday to extract maximum flavour and minimize extraction of bitter tannins. The wine is transferred into small cement vats where it lies on its fine lees until May, then bottled. The wine is kept in bottle for 3 years before being released.

I was blown away by this unusual wine! It had an opulent nose of dried orange peel, cumquat, hazelnut, chamomile, green tea, honey and china, which is the distinctive aroma in amaro. The palate was full, rich and creamy, with very fine tannins, fresh acidity and an extremely long finish. Don’t serve this too cold. I would serve at cellar temperature (12 to 14 degrees). Because of the array of aromas and flavours it could hold its own against intense dishes like curries, north African cuisine, or Korean and Japanese dishes.