Pinot Grigio "Mepari" DOC 2021

A white wine that takes Pinot Gris seriously: dense, saline, layered. Lara and Mattia Scarbolo have run the estate in Lauzacco since 2020 and immediately converted it to organic farming with biodynamic influences. Lara, trained in Udine and Bordeaux, is responsible for the vinification and devotes her full attention to this variety.

The grapes grow in Pozzut, a vineyard on alluvial deposits of dolomitic limestone. The eastern section is the estate's oldest Pinot Grigio plot, with clay soil rich in gravel and limestone inclusions. Of the 2.9 hectares, only the oldest 1.4 hectares, with an average age of 26 years, supply the grapes for the Mepari.

The grapes were hand-harvested into baskets during the early, cool hours of 10 and 11 September. After destemming and crushing, immediate pressing followed, with no maceration. Fermentation began in stainless steel tank and finished in a 20-hl barrel; no malolactic fermentation took place. The wine spent 22 months on fine lees, first in the fermentation barrel, then in stainless steel tank, with bâtonnage during the first three months. Bottled unfiltered, it then rested for ten months in bottle.

Bright golden yellow, slightly hazy, with green highlights. On the nose, juicy fruit of ripe apple, honeydew melon, star fruit, papaya and a touch of banana, which with air give way to honey, white nougat, a hint of caramel, cigar box, caffè latte, wheat and freshly baked baguette with salted butter. On the palate, the ripe exotic fruit meets a lively bitter note of grapefruit and grapefruit zest, along with salt and umami. The finish is long.

Aromatic, spice-forward dishes: roasted saltwater fish, creamy seafood pasta, spiced poultry, Indian curry.

At Scarbolo, the wines are given time: 22 months on lees and ten months of bottle rest before release, bottled unfiltered.