Bonny Doon Ca del Solo Malvasia Bianca 2001

We took malvasia grapes this year from a different block of San Bernabe Vineyard and were thrilled to observe that they ripened a little sooner than normal, hence retaining greater natural acidity. We left the teensiest scosh of residual sugar (.4ish) to help counter-balance the very tingling acidity; the wine is definitely more electrically vibrant for these two forces working in dynamic balance. I have dilated before - thoroughly off the record, of course - on the putative aromatherapeutic, calmative qualities of malvasia and continue to recommend to harried matires d everywhere that they consider pouring a nice tall glass of this to customers cooling their heels, stacked up like so many 757s over JFK waiting for a table. The wine smells like litchi and lavender, is still amazingly crisp and refreshing and is still the perfect foil for crisply sauteed sea creatures.