▴ Piemme 2018
Piemme 2018, Fattoria Le Pupille, Italy
Elisabetta Geppetti’s new wine from Fattoria Le Pupille, Piemme 2018, is 100% Petit Manseng, the grape variety which originates in Southwest France and is now attracting many new admirers, from California to Uruguay. The grapes are sourced from the Pian di Fiora vineyard, on 3 hectares of sandstone with a chalky surface layer. Elisabetta’s son, Ettore Arturo Rizzi, oversees Piemme; at a recent tasting, he explained that the vines were planted 20 years ago, and that the grapes usually went into their estate white wine, Poggio Argentato. Normally I would run a mile from a white wine at 15% alcohol, but the streak of acidity which runs through this powerful wine keeps the alcohol in check. The colour is bright mid-gold, and it has a pronounced floral aroma. On the palate, there is restrained power--a hint of bitter almonds, eucalyptus, a mixture of peaches, apricots and dried orange peel, layered with minerals, all round a core of vibrant tension. This is a wine with a huge presence, which delivers with intense precision.
Review Apr 2021, SK