
2018
Region
Italy › Piedmont › Monferrato › Vino
Type
white · still
Grapes
Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol
13%
Volume
750 mL
Same Solleone register as before, with a new note creeping in: rose-petal jam alongside the apricot jam, dried herbs, dried flowers, and that flicker of bubble gum / canned tuna funk that's typical Northern Italy skin contact. Not super tannic on the palate, round and well-structured, long and delicate on the finish. Charming and quaffable - the kind of orange wine that wins over the skeptics at the table.
Solleone is Zampaglione's long-form orange wine from 100% Sauvignon Blanc on the Monferrato hills, the name a nod to the dog-day sun the grapes ripen under. The fruit sits on its skins for about 60 days with native yeasts, then ages roughly a year in steel and at least five years in bottle before release, unfined and unfiltered. The result reads less as a fruity Sauvignon and more as orange peel, citrus pith and white pepper - the variety reshaped by maceration time.
A bit perfumed bouquet of apricot jam, dried herbs, dried flowers, nuts, and a hint of canned tuna. On the palate, it's not super tannic but round and well-structured, with a long, flavourful, and delicate aftertaste. A beautiful and quaffable wine.
After several harsh experiences with Tenuta Grillo, I became reluctant. Yet I was so wrong---this bottle is friendly and charming. On the nose, it's a typical skin contact from Northern Italy, but on the palate, it's like Gentle Folk! A bit perfumed with a beautiful bouquet of apricot jam, dried herbs, dried flowers, nuts, and a hint of bubble gum. On the palate, it's not super tannic, well-structured with a long and delicate aftertaste. Unexpectedly beautiful wine.