Morei Cilindrica Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2019

A Teroldego that still feels fresh and youthful even two days after opening: pure, juicy sour cherry up front, joined by beguiling lilac and elderflower, a hint of marzipan and wild Mediterranean herbs. Beneath the fruit lies mineral depth and an exciting structure. Right now it's a rough diamond that will grow more harmonious with a few years of bottle age.

The Morei vineyard lies in the Campo Rotaliano, a valley floor wedged between three-thousand-metre peaks. The Noce river has deposited sediments of limestone, porphyry and gneiss here over millennia; Morei itself is shaped by alluvial sand. By day the rock walls reflect the sun, by night cool mountain air streams through the valley.

Teroldego very nearly disappeared during the 20th century, as mass yields had ruined its reputation. Elisabetta Foradori brought the variety back through years of massal selection, together with the University of Milan and the San Michele research centre. Today 28 hectares are Demeter-certified, 80 percent of it Teroldego. Because oak tended to overwhelm the Teroldego, the Morei ages in Spanish clay amphorae, or tinajas, where wine and skins breathe for eight months. Since 2013, son Emilio has led the winemaking.

The texture feels mineral and almost cool, fruit and acidity are refreshing, the tannins are polished and fine-grained. At 12.5% alcohol by volume, the wine stays invigoratingly light.

Crisp-roasted duck breast with balsamic reduction and cherry soufflé, savoury tart with Parma ham, tomatoes and spinach, or, for a vegetarian option, polenta rounds with a redcurrant and cress salad.

The label carries the Demeter logo. Anyone opening the bottle now should decant it and serve the wine lightly chilled in a sufficiently large glass; it improves over several days after opening.