Pradarolo 'Vej Bianco Antico 180' Malvasia 2022 | Skin Contact, Italy

A real favourite this one - an excellent skin contact for those wanting a bit more grip in their orange.

Producer: Podere Pradarolo - Alberto and Claudia Carretti

Region: Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Grapes: Malvasia di Candia Aromatica

Intensely amber in colour. Bright aromatics, with floral notes of jasmine, orange blossom, and rose, along with citrus and stone fruit, and savoury spices.

Full flavoured, with citrus peel, mandarin, textural peach, smokey hay, dried sage and thyme, and a lightly spiced black tea character.

Very moreish on the palate, fresh yet textural, structured with a dry grippy tannin line that's all tea and preserved fruit in character, running right through to the finish.

Intense, complex, wild and delicious.

NERD NOTES

Malvasia di Candia Aromatica grapes, from organic cultivated, south-facing vines on Franco clay soils.

The wine sees an incredibly long 240 (or 8 month) maceration on skins, fermented with native yeasts and aged for 6 months, all in a mixture of stainless steel and concrete tanks.

Bottled without filtration and other stabilization, with no added sulphur or other additions.

THE PRODUCER

Podere Pradarolo is the husband and wife team of Alberto and Claudia Carretti. They are based in the commune of Varano de' Melegari, on the left bank of the river Ceno, with the vineyards sitting at around 400m. The Carrettis have about 60 ha of land but only 5 of those are planted to vineyards. The estate is certified organic and there are no additions to the wine.