2018 Meditazione

Meditazione is an exotic, delicious, non-traditional white skin-fermented blend initially inspired by the "Vino da Meditazione" wines in the Friuli region of Northeast Italy. Some now like to call this style of wine "orange" or "amber" due to their deeper golden, orange, amber hued tones the wines take on after contact with the skins of the white grapes. This is our fourteenth vintage of this wine and we are thrilled that the following for our Meditazione by consumers, the press and sommeliers has soared. This is a style of wine that is ancient yet only relatively recently revived, touted and appreciated again in the wine world. Indeed, the color of these wines are darker than other whites due to the skin maceration, ours has a beautiful rich, deep golden almost electric orange inflected hue. Our 2018 Meditazione is comprised of 45% Chardonnay. 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Tocai Friulano, 4% Pinot Grigio and 1% Muscat Ottonel.. All the fruit for this Meditazione was hand-harvested from our Mosaico block on our estate in Bridgehampton. The fruit was de-stemmed and the grapes were fermented together wild/ambiently on their skins for sixteen days in one ton open top fermenter bins. Raised in mostly neutral (89%) French and Slovenian oak puncheons, barrels and hogsheads for 34 months and followed by one year in bottle: this is a textured, aromatic and delicious white wine that appeals to both the senses and the intellect. Our 2018 Meditazione is dry, medium bodied, on the low side of moderate alcohol (12%) and possesses juicy acidity. The flavors and aromas are exotic, concentrated, penetrating and complex. They remind one of chamomile tea, citrus and apple blossoms, fresh and dried apricots, pear skin, brown baking spices, white, yellow and orange flowers, peaches, honey, caramel and dried mango. The fruit spectrum runs the gamut from herbal to citrus to stone to tropical! This rich wine has sex appeal and a long persistent finish. Our 2018 Meditazione is complex, full of deliciousness, long, lingering, sweet on the nose, savory on the palate, intoxicating, paradoxical, irresistible and still just a baby! This wine ages effortlessly for a decade plus so put some away too! Drink our 2018 Meditazione with game birds (squab, quail), pork belly, sausages, aged alpine cheeses and fish, poultry and pork dishes containing nuts, seeds or squash. It will also be excellent with veal Marsala and items with sherry sauces. Do not over chill this wine as it will mute the flavors and try thinking about it more in the context of a red wine (in fact pour it in a large glass) which will open a new universe to you. Only 468 cases were produced. 12 bottle max per customer.