Sgarzon Cilindrica Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2016 1500ml Magnum

Wild and earthy: sloe, rowan berry and elderwood, along with beetroot, ivy and boxwood. The berry fruit has a delicate bitterness, the aromatic spectrum is intricately woven. The Sgarzon needs plenty of air; decanted and served lightly chilled in a sufficiently large glass, it shows its best side. A rough diamond whose evolution can be followed over several days.

The Sgarzon vineyard lies in the Campo Rotaliano, a valley plain in Trentino wedged between three-thousand-metre peaks. Over millennia, the river Noce has deposited limestone, porphyry and gneiss from the Dolomites here; the Sgarzon is shaped by Dolomite limestone. By day the rock walls reflect the sun, at night cool mountain air flows through the valley.

Teroldego nearly disappeared in the 20th century, its reputation ruined by mass-production yields. Elisabetta Foradori brought the variety back through years of massal selection, working together with the University of Milan and the San Michele research centre. Because oak overwhelmed Teroldego's character, the wines mature in Spanish clay amphorae, the tinajas, where wine and skins breathe for eight months. Since 2013, her son Emilio has been responsible for the winemaking. 12.5 % vol., dry.

Youthful acidity and a fine tannic structure keep the wine taut and demanding. The dark berry fruit mingles with the earthy notes from the nose, joined by a fine mineral note and a delicate salinity. The sour cherry only emerges here, keeping the wine moving on the palate.

Robiola on grilled green asparagus with fresh figs and caramelised walnuts, monkfish saltimbocca on sun-dried tomatoes with thyme gnocchi, or warm smoked roast beef with braised red bell pepper and rosemary.

Foradori farms 28 hectares under Demeter certification, 80 percent of it Teroldego; the Demeter logo appears on the label. The 1500 ml magnum gives a wine that still needs it plenty of time.