'Mantonicoz' L'Acino 2018

Mantonicoz dell'Acino is an amazing orange wine, energetic and vital account of the artisanal wine Calabria. There is no denying that until recently, Calabria was viewed with scepticism by many enthusiasts by virtue of many local realities that favoured quantity over grape quality. Cheap wines or grapes used for blending were the order of the day, but fortunately, thanks to an increasingly large group of serious producers, things have begun to change. Among these, it is impossible not to mention Dino Briglio, a passionate winemaker with an eye constantly on experimentation. The grapes are the indigenous ones, of course, such as Mantonico, Guarnaccino, Magliocco and Greco Bianco, but they are grown as cleanly as possible, with the help of only a little copper and sulfur. On the whites, space is given to maceration on the skins, while the reds, although interpreted in a more classic way, involve expressiveness and energy. By now, an absolute guarantee.

Mantonicoz wine, as the name suggests, is made from pure Mantonico grapes, grown without the use of chemicals or synthetics and with very low yields so as to favour the quality of the fruit. In the cellar, work is done without any sophistication, so alcoholic fermentation takes place spontaneously in steel containers, and the liquid is macerated 8 days on the skins. Ageing of 12 months divided between tonneaux and steel, and no clarification or filtration before bottling.

Acino Mantonicoz presents itself in the glass with an intriguing golden guise that veers toward orange. A complex and multifaceted liquid from the first olfaction, where it offers a profile made of toasted almond, lemon meringue, and ripe fruit, as well as an extremely refreshing vegetal and lymphatic part. On tasting, the liquid is rich and enveloping but sprinkled with a savoury streak that always makes it lively and dynamic. A great Southern white.