Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Argillae Primo d'Anfora is an intense yellow color in appearance. Fascinating and intriguing on the bouquet, it slowly unveils the scents of its fragrance. Elderfl ower scents with citrus hints alternate to musk and almond aromas. Floral fragrances gradually give way to a fruity, undergrowth aroma. Rich and soft on the palate at first, it persistently develops while sipping to end in a fresh acidic and flavorful taste.
Blend: Grechetto 60%, Drupeggio 20%, Malvasia 20%
This wine perfectly matches refined fish-based cuisines. Primo d'Anfora is also versatile in its elegance, it amazes also in the combination with white meats and game.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
A pretty and nuanced display of peach skins, yellow flowers, incense, raw honey and crushed almonds lifts up from the 2017 Primo d'Anfora. There are depths of silky textures, all complemented by ripe apple and pear, along with exotic inner florals and a stimulating core of acidity that pulls it all together. Hints of ginger linger long under an enriching air of lemon custard. What a fun yet balanced and characterful expression! The Primo d'Anfora is an old-vines selection of 60% Grechetto, 20% Drupeggio and 20% Malvasia that spends nine months refining in 500-liter terra-cotta amphorae. Best After 2021
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Centered upon the lush Apennine Range in the center if the Italian peninsula, Umbria is one of the few completely landlocked regions in Italy. It’s star red grape variety, Sagrantino, finds its mecca around the striking, hilltop village of Montefalco. The resulting wine, Sagrantino di Montefalco, is an age-worthy, brawny, brambly red, bursting with jammy, blackberry fruit and earthy, pine forest aromas. By law this classified wine has to be aged over three years before it can be released from the winery and Sagrantino often needs a good 5-10 more years in bottle before it reaches its peak. Incidentally these wines often fall under the radar in the scene of high-end, age-begging, Italian reds, giving them an almost cult-classic appeal. They are undoubtedly worth the wait!
Rosso di Montefalco, on the other had, is composed mainly of Sangiovese and is a more fruit-driven, quaffable wine to enjoy while waiting for the Sagrantinos to mellow out.
Among its green mountains, perched upon a high cliff in the province of Terni, sits the town of Orvieto. Orvieto, the wine, is a blend of at least 60% Trebbiano in combination with Grechetto, with the possible addition of other local white varieties. Orvieto is the center of Umbria’s white wine production—and anchor of the region’s entire wine scene—producing over two thirds of Umbria’s wine. A great Orvieto will have clean aromas and flavors of green apple, melon and citrus, and have a crisp, mineral-dominant finish.