La Giustiniana, Gavi, Lugarara

12.5% Alc; Mid+ straw Pungent aromas of sweet flowers, honeysuckle and William pear. This goes to almonds, cashew (slightly salted), fleshy quince, greengage and prickly pear. Off-dry entry with a rich texture and immediate sensation of almonds, macadamias to almost a dry marzipan. On top sit quince, Williams pear and wet stones. The back palate is a little more savoury, but as the wine stood in the glass, more was coaxed from the glass and improved: Quince rind, lemon, Kumquat …

Straw yellow; Delicate aromas of asian pear, quince, dried forelle pear, green apple and lime zest. As the wine opens further, a little chalk dust and lemon peel join a faint almond aroma. Intense entry with crisp acidity, crunchy texture with sherbet and green apple with a citric edge. WNicely balanced wine with that slightly subtle Italian twist and an almond note on the finish.

Nicely made, fresh, pure, bit one dimensional in the finish.

Terroir-istes International - Italy, Piedmonte (Rodwell House) : Pale lemon in colour, the nose explodes with sherbet, elderflower, floral, blossom, orange zest and grapefruit. A delicate, light-bodied entry with a beautifully weighted mid-palate, elegant with a touch of richer ripe fruit (yellow apple, Meyer lemon) but underpinned by a crisp mineral-edged acidity. Fairly medium to low alcohol with a long, persistent length. Fresh cotton, clean and ethereal!