Tre Monti Vitalba Romagna Albana in Anfora 2021

I think the winery says it best:

“A short story, but full, intense and alive. If in the early 70s making quality in Romagna was crazy visionaries, if , in the early 2000s experimenting with non-native varieties and natural winemaking techniques and with reduced use of chemistry was not yet “cool”, now after almost 50 years, the challenge is to prove that everything that has been done, the results and the satisfactions have not come by chance.”

And that ladies and gentlemen, terroir-ists to the T, sums up this wine perfectly – 100% Albana (indigenous white grape), macerated for 12 months on the skins, in Georgian amphora, using exclusively indigenous yeast and no temperature control.

But here is the kicker – I taste a lot of orange wine these days (and am proud to say that I introduced the concept to Wisconsin). Regrettably, many are flawed crap. But this wine renews my faith – and a couple tablefuls of wine tasters in both January and October of this year agreed – that orange wine is a Thing. A Delicious Thing. Something be enjoyed and loved, and that pairs amazingly well at the table. That’s this guy right here.

The flavor profile is dried yellow fruit – apricots come strongest to my mind, with savory herbs and a touch of minerality. So if you took apricots, mixed them with just a little bit of roasted, salted Marcona almonds, and then just a little bit of dried orange peel, saffron and lavender, I think your right in the park with this wine. The palate has texture, and a little bit of a grip, which is all the better for the wine. Having had experience with orange wine before, let me assure you – this is a great friend at the table.

While I have not met this family, every wine I’ve tasted, every article I’ve read, and everyone I’ve talked to essentially affirms how they describe themselves: “full, intense and alive.” And that is represented in this wine. Salute!