Italian Whites
by Anthony Lynch
2023 Prosecco Treviso Sui Lieviti
Italy | Veneto
I dare anyone to find a more lip-smacking summer refresher than this naturally made Prosecco! Refermented in bottle without disgorgement, it has the slight cloudiness of a pet-nat with bracingly pure, clean flavors. It is crafted via sustainable, traditional practices in the hilly epicenter of the vast Prosecco zone, and that great terroir shines through with clarity in each mouthwatering sip. You’ll see that the Gregoletto family is in a league all their own when it comes to old-school Italian farmer fizz.
The Vermentino we import from Punta Crena, on the coast of Liguria, is the most carefree rendition of the grape I know. Scented of freshly squeezed Meyer lemon and mimosa blossom, it has a slight bitterness reminiscent of grapefruit pith and a salty sea-spray finish that tickles the back of the palate. The charm and lightheartedness of the Italian Riviera, and its colorful seaside villages, is captured to a tee.
2021 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
Italy | Le Marche
On my most recent visit to Le Marche, winemaker Alessandro Bonci shared a 2013 Verdicchio whose youthful vigor belied its age. Raised in large casks and bottled unfiltered, his Passolento bottling is built to last, and the wiry balance of this current release makes me think it will evolve just as beautifully as the 2013. Rife with notes of pine nut, toasted almond, and gunflint, this chiseled and full-flavored white from the Adriatic coast is a dazzling companion to fish, pastas, and other Italian appetizers whether you uncork it young or old.
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