IL NATALE offers a selection of our favourite wines for the festive table. Covering all the bases for the holidays, these wines are sure to create a real sense of occasion.
ALEX DELLA VECCHIA
Pedecastello Rosato Frizzante 2022
Veneto, Italy
Pinot Nero from young vines planted some six hundred metres above sea level at the foot of the Dolomites. The fruit spent twelve hours on the skins, before being pressed off to tank to rest until the following spring when it was put into bottle with a concentrated must made from passito grapes to cause a second fermentation in bottle. A hazy shade of pink in the glass, this dry, delicate sparkling wine offers refreshing notes of alpine strawberries, minerals and herbs, and screams aperitivo time.
Pinot Nero
LA DISTESA
Terre Silvate 2024
Marche, Italy
This wonderful Verdicchio comes from vineyards planted over clay and limestone in the hills outside Cupramontana. The wine is fermented and aged in old concrete vats and while the majority is given a direct press, around twenty percent sits on skins for a few days, lending a little flesh and grip. From a cooler vintage, this has a delicate perfume of almonds and brine and a gentle hint of salt and bitterness, which bring refreshment and intrigue.
Verdicchio
CANTINA GIARDINO
NA 2024
Campania, Italy
A blend of Coda di Volpe, Fiano and Greco from old vines in Montemarano. This spent just two days on the skins before being pressed off to a combination of stoneware, concrete and large chestnut casks. Reflecting the year that was, this is a little more compact and elegant than previous releases, with gentle notes of stone fruits, smoke and spice framed by neat tannins. A wine that really punches above its weight.
Coda di Volpe, Fiano, Greco
LES ÂNES AILÉS
Pierrot 2024
Roussillon, France
Grenache and a touch of Carignan from a friend’s vineyards planted over clay and limestone in Calce. Two thirds of the grapes were destemmed, whilst the remainder were kept at whole bunches, and after a week of maceration, the grapes were pressed off to vats until spring. Light, bright and crunchy, the red fruits are seasoned gently with woody herbs and warming spice, making for an easygoing wine full of southern charm.
Grenache
GRÉGORY GUILLAUME
Mystère 2023
Ardèche, France
Syrah from a thirty year old vineyard. This spends ten days infusing as whole bunches, before being pressed off to cuve for a year. From a cooler year, this is beautifully put together, pairing black fruit, herbs and brine to brilliant effect. This shows the grape at its most charming and sums up everything we love about the Ardéche.
Syrah
GUTTAROLO
Lamie delle Vigne 2024
Puglia, Italy
Primitivo from vines up to fifty years old, destemmed and fermented on the skins for a week, before being pressed to large porcelain amphorae to rest until the following spring. This is one of the most compelling examples of the grape we have tried, offering dark, southern fruit seasoned with refreshing notes of herbs and spice.
Primitivo