L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano Time, music, and five age-worthy Italian whites C lassical guitarist Oscar Ghiglia walks onstage toward a single chair placed in the spotlight and sits down. Seated, staring into the audience as if examining the faces of those in attendance, Ghiglia turns the gui- tar's tuning pegs, making a few small adjustments to intonation. I've not heard the guitarist perform live in thirty years and wait in anti- cipation for the concert to begin. Extending an arm toward the floor, Ghiglia hangs his right-hand in a moment of anatomical relaxa- tion. Positioning both hands on the instrument, he inhales, and begins to play. Music pours forth. Time reveals itself in the matu- rity of the now older musician's playing as familiar repertoire, ph- rases, passages, sound with an emo- tional depth greater than years ear- lier. A satisfying listening experience not so different than that of enjoying a well-aged wine. Most folks know that Italy's red wines age well. However, for Italy's white wines, the talk of age- worthiness is a quieter story. The notion that one might cellar Italian white wines may not be self- evident or intuitive since guidance around consumption has largely been of the "drink white wines young" sort. Admittedly, such gui- dance is often correct. Many, if not most, Italian whites are produced with early consumption in mind. There are, though, Italian white wines that will continue to improve with a few years of cellaring, if gi- ven the chance. Soave Made from the Garganega grape, Soave's magic derives from elemental fire, water, and earth. Se- diments from successively erupting volcanoes and sea beds have for- med the volcanic limestone soils in which Garganega thrives. It was Fi- lippo Filippi's cru bottlings Castel- cerino and Vigne della Bra which impressed upon me the aging po- tential of Soave wines. I was totally slain when, a few years ago, I tasted Filippi's Vigne della Bra 2004 vin- tage. The wine maintained the ma- gnificent freshness of youth playing against the counterpoint of mature complexity, a gorgeous, echoing note of petrol such as one might find in aged Riesling. Fiano di Avellino An antique Italian wine grape, Fiano grows in Campania, notably in the area around Avellino where Fiano di Avellino is made. Like Garganega, Fiano is a vine that does especially well in volcanic soil. Fiano di Avellino can really go the distance in the cellar, up to ten years for some examples. As it moves further away in time from youthful, delicate fruit, Fiano di Avellino it can evolve in an aroma/flavor di- rection reminiscent of buttery toa- sted hazelnut spread on herbed brioche. One of the wines that con- vinced me of Fiano di Avellino's cellar worthiness was a wonder- fully evolved bottle of Rocca del Principe Fiano di Avellino 2006.[Text Wrapping Break] Lugana Known as the white wine of Lake Garda, Lugana territory is lo- cated around the lake's southern shores. The smallish production area gains a big terroir advantage from its hard clay soils and bene- ficial lake influences. Genetic te- sting has linked Turbiana, the prin- ciple grape variety, to Verdicchio. However, Turbiana has so distin- guished itself in its growing envi- ronment, in behavior, agriculture, and more importantly, in the wines it makes, that any pre-conceived notion of "sameness" with Verdic- chio wines from Marche should be avoided. A recent tasting of Tenuta Roveglia Lugana Filo di Arianna Vendemmia Tardiva 2014 has as- sured me that Lugana will reward cellar time with velvety texture and harmonic complexity. Verdicchio Growing mainly in Marche and used to produce a variety of wine styles, Verdicchio is best recogni- zed for its role in DOC wines Ver- dicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Ver- dicchio di Matelica. Its name derives from the Italian verde, sug- gestive of the wine's green reflec- tions. (I am sure you can find some expert who will argue that the name Verdicchio derives from va- riety's grape skin color). Verdic- chio is known for its high acidity, making wines that are crisp, refre- shing and great with food. Won- derful when enjoyed young, Ver- dicchio can age well, too, as examples by Bucci, Garofoli, Pie- valta and Sartarelli will testify. Friulano Sadly, the thing about which the collective wine consumer con- sciousness seems most commonly aware is the confusion surrounding the wine's embattled name. Tocai Friulano – a name apparently too close to the Hungarian wine Tokay or Tokaj for the comfort of relevant authorities – is a reference no lon- ger permitted by law to what is now called simply Friulano. Friu- lano wines are made, not surpri- singly, in Friuli, and are generally well-structured with notes of apple, almond, and flowers. The wines are great candidates for cellar time, as I was recently reminded by a bottle of Borgo del Tiglio Tocai Friulano 1995, still a paragon of refinement and complexity. Tasting Note Tenuta Roveglia Lugana Filo di Arianna Vendemmia Tardiva 2014 Candied apricot, honey, al- mond, orange peel, nuance of pe- trol. Rich, viscous palate rides atop elegant acidity. Grand. Among the whites that age better we find Soave, Fiano di Avellino and Friulano Who said that white wines don't age well? They do, just like fine music performers! JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

• Cover