La Stoppa Ageno 2018

More focused and fresh than the 2020. Where 2020 channels Friuli's weight and muscle, this one's elevated and precise like Carso -- herbs, VA, lemongrass, ginger, peach. Beautiful and quietly compelling, though somehow less impressive than last time. Still, this is very good wine.

This wine is named after the founder of La Stoppa, lawyer Ageno, who was the first to believe and give value the great potential of this area. The only dry white wine of the estate, obtained after a long spontaneous maceration from grapes of this hot and low yielding land. A person responsible for production is Giulio Armani.

First Production: 2002
Agriculture: Organic, natural green cover between the rows. No fertilizing, weed killers or pesticides
Soil Type: Clay Silt
Trellis System: Simple Guyot
Age of vines: 20 years
Density: 6000 plants per hectare
Vinification: 4 months maceration on skins in stainless steel and/or cement tanks
Fermentation and aging: Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, aged in 40 hectolitre wooden tanks and in bottle for a time necessary, no filtration or sulphites added
Produced: 23 800 bottles, around 200 arrived to Ukraine.

I was pleasantly surprised to come across this bottle, instantly changing any non-drinking plans. And what a banger it is! The nose greets you with lemongrass, ginger, peach, dried medicinal herbs, and buckwheat honey, all enveloped in a subtle shroud of VA. It's intense and friendly, yet multilayered and sophisticated, showcasing great fruit quality and acidity. The palate is beautifully elevated by the well-integrated VA, which enhances rather than disrupts the experience. Flavors of peach, pecan tart, and buckwheat honey add to its complexity. Despite being super young, the wine is dangerously quaffable. And the bottle is in excellent condition. Lucky me.

This wine is akin to the comforting feeling of returning home after a long journey, meeting expectations with a welcoming array of familiar aromas like lemongrass, ginger, peach, dried medicinal herbs, and buckwheat honey. Its nearly perfect balance, complexity, and multiple layers are underpinned by good acidity that supports its powerful tannins. The aftertaste is notably long, providing delightful flavours of pecan tart and buckwheat honey. The presence of VA is prominent throughout the wine, yet it's skillfully integrated, contributing to the overall harmony. This bottle showcases its quality, proving to be in excellent condition.

Some things are anchors in this ever-changing world. Complex, multilayered and delicious. I love how it manages to stay friendly and open.

As expected, it's changing little by little after the trip to Ukraine. In some sense, a benchmark orange wine. As with every other wine of this evening, I served it blind. It was amazing to see how everyone guessed that it was Ageno. And every person notes how skilfully it's made. Oxidized apple, dried apricot, dried herbs, and VA. Complex, multilayered and tasty.

Still nervous after the long trip to Ukraine, but already incredible. Top orange wine, charged with potential. Honey, ginger, forgotten apple that oxidized, dried apricot, and dried medicinal herbs. Good acidity, powerful tannin. Definitely, a wine to buy by cases and drink occasionally to witness its development. By the way, this is my first Ageno of even vintage.

Ageno

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