2021 Fonzone Falanghina Skin Contact 'Le Mattine'

This wine is from a producer in the Girasole portfolio and should be a name familiar to all of you at this point.  We have featured several of their wines in various clubs over the past year or so – including their Greco di Tufo back in May of 2020 and the Fiano last November. I can’t tell you how excited I am (I think we ALL are) to have them on our team. As a reminder, these are some of the best, classic, well-made wines of their type that I have come across in a while. I put them right up there with the wines of some of the most well-known producers in the region. We discovered Fonzone at an Italian wine trade tasting last year up in San Francisco. Marc and Paula did the initial legwork and then sent all of us who were there over to their table to taste the wines. We were ALL unanimous in our opinions that the wines and the people were very impressive and well worth pursuing. After a couple months of negotiations and getting to know each other better, Marc and Paula were able to close the deal and the wines landed about a year ago. What’s so special about THIS wine? This is the first time they have bottled this wine and so it has NEVER BEEN AVAILABLE IN THE US BEFORE! Amadeo, the Export Manager (and cousin of the family) told Paula that the family wanted to do a special project in the attempt to make an “elevated” version of Falanghina, so they put a lot of thought and effort into the making of this wine. One of Paula’s friends, who lives in Campania, has told her that this is the best Falanghina he has ever tasted! It is selling very well in Italy and in England…We are very honored that Amadeo and the family offered us the opportunity to grab some of this wine and share it with our club members, here in the tiny hamlet of Los Gatos and its environs. How cool is that?? This ain’t available in NYC or LA or Chicago or Vegas or…

100% Falanghina from a single vineyard. Organic. The grapes were handpicked and carefully transported to the cellar in small boxes, then selected and softly pressed after a few hours of cold skin maceration. Fermentation is carried out at low temperatures and lasts for about a month – part of this includes some time in amphora. The wine is then aged in steel for eight months on the fine lees.

The color is intense straw yellow with green reflections. The nose clearly distinguishes elegant hints of fruit, reminiscent of ripe yellow apple, white peach pulp, broom flowers, with a slight citrus accent; there are also delicate subtle notes of brioche. On the palate it stands out for its roundness, balance and flavor reminiscent of dry pastries.