Denavolo Dinavolino 2022

Denavolo takes its name from the mountain above the estate in Emilia-Romagna, close to the Apennines, and is run by Giulio Armani, a winemaker and theorist long associated with natural winemaking in the region. The vineyards sit between 350 and 600 metres across five hectares, and the winery makes around 20,000 bottles a year. Dinavolino blends Malvasia di Candia Aromatica with Marsanne, Ortrugo and another older local variety. The wine is made with extended skin contact, the juice fermenting and macerating on the grape skins so that phenolics and tannin are drawn from the skins into the wine, giving the amber colour and the savoury grip that mark the style. Hillside altitude and the cooling influence of the Apennines preserve acidity and aromatic lift through the long maceration. The wine is deep amber, with aromas of dried apricot, orange peel and chamomile over beeswax and toasted almond. The palate is dry and textured, with real tannic structure, a herbal savouriness and a long, faintly honeyed finish. Serve at 12 to 14 degrees, ideally decanted, in a broad glass. It pairs with roast pork, herbed chicken and aged hard cheeses.