White 'Biancomargherita' Cantine Viola 2019

Cantine Viola's 'Biancomargherita' Bianco is a label with a floral and Mediterranean aromatic profile that is the result of the combination of the two indigenous Calabrian varieties Mantonico and Guarnaccia Bianca. The former is a white grape variety, for centuries confused with Trebbiano and Montonico Bianco, which like other grapes in the region has its origins in the Magna Grecia era. In fact, it seems that the name derives from the Greek 'Mantonikos', in turn derived from the term 'mantis-eos', a wine formerly used by priests and soothsayers. Instead, the origin of the Guarnaccia Bianca is to be found in nearby Sicily, where this grape has now disappeared. It is a very rare variety, mainly used in the production of the peculiar sweet wine Moscato di Saracena, the winery's own excellence.

Cantine Viola Bianco 'Biancomargherita' comes from a blend of Guarnaccia Bianca (65%) and Mantonico (35%) grapes grown under certified organic cultivation on clay soil. After harvesting, the grapes undergo about 5 hours of pre-fermentation skin maceration, followed by soft pressing and then alcoholic fermentation of the must in stainless steel tanks. The subsequent ageing period, which lasts 7 months, takes place in stainless steel for 90% of the mass and in barriques for the remaining 10%, followed by a further resting period in the bottle before final release.

Cantine Viola's Bianco 'Biancomargherita' has an intense straw-yellow hue. The nose is a succession of pleasant citrus and floral scents of lemon peel and white flowers, combined with hints of aromatic herbs and mineral hints of iodine. The palate is fresh and savoury, with excellent balance and a lingering finish on the citrus and floral sensations previously perceived on the nose.