'Ariento' Massa Vecchia 2022

L'Ariento by Massa Vecchia is an extraordinary orange wine, explosive and dynamic. A flagship in the world of Italian artisanal wine, Massa Vecchia is one of those names that does not leave enthusiasts indifferent, thanks to bottles that, even opened years after the harvest, excite with depth and richness of facets. The winery, founded in 1985 by Fabrizio Niccolaini, is located in the high Maremma Toscana and the philosophy followed has always involved respect for the vineyard and its fruits with minimal intervention. Today, it is Francesca, Fabrizio's daughter, who continues the family tradition, alongside her husband Stefano in this life project. A few hectares divided between Malvasia, Trebbiano, Vermentino, and especially Sangiovese, with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wines are true masterpieces, unfiltered witnesses of grape, vintage, and territory: astonishing!

The white "Ariento" is obtained from pure Vermentino grapes, with vines that are cultivated without the aid of any chemical or synthetic substances. The harvest takes place strictly by hand, with sorting included. In the winery, the same belief continues, therefore with alcoholic fermentation that occurs spontaneously and maceration on the skins for about 2-3 weeks in truncated cone-shaped chestnut tanks. It ages for 18 months in oak barrels and at least 6 months in the bottle.

The wine "Ariento" fills the glass with its intense golden yellow hue. It captivates from the first sniff, with bursts of peach, apricot, citrus peel, acacia honey, and bucolic references, with notes of hay and wild herbs. A nose so varied that it is difficult to detach from it, but the tasting makes it clear that the liquid has other arrows at its disposal. Juicy flesh, a fruit to bite, that expands on the palate with all its moods and freshness. Then a tannin that marks the rhythm of the sip like a metronome. A great "white" to drink at the same temperature as a red, so as not to lose any nuance of its immense complexity.