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The wine
I recommend ViNotte for its singular story: this organic and vegan white is born from a second pressing, more intense, of grapes also destined for Primi Passi. The result claims a more concentrated expression of the same origin, without giving up the freshness the winery seeks to preserve.
The Sàgona estate is located near Arezzo, in the heart of Tuscany, on the slopes of Pratomagno. Its four hectares of vines, planted in the 1960s and 1970s, stretch at 500 meters of altitude, between dry stone walls. The soils mix silt and clay; the climate favors a slow ripening, with marked differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures. For nearly a decade, the project's managers have been restoring an old farm, replanting part of the vines and caring for more than 800 olive trees spread across the mountain terraces. Viticulture is organic and increasingly moves toward biodynamic practices. ViNotte is produced in IGP Toscana from Malvasía and Trebbiano, coming from the same plot as Primi Passi.
The name ViNotte is a creation built around « vino », a diminutive that here evokes a distinct identity, not a lesser version. After the harvest, the first pressing provides the free-run juice destined for the wine. The pressed grapes then rest overnight; the next day, they are pressed a second time. This juice, more concentrated and more pronounced, ferments spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts, in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged for at least six months in concrete tanks. The available information does not specify its color, nor any particular aromas: I prefer not to invent them for you. It does, however, describe a highlighted varietal expression and a freshness preserved by the aging. So expect a white whose interest lies first in its making and its close link to the place, rather than in a list of tasting notes that nothing confirms.
At the table, I would serve it with simple dishes that don't mask the character of the grape: seasonal roasted vegetables, grilled fish or fresh cheese. These are pairing suggestions, not combinations recommended by the estate; adapt them to the preparation and your tastes. Its announced freshness can accompany delicate cooking, while its second pressing gives it an interesting place alongside dishes a bit more substantial than a very light white. You can also choose it for a meal where you take the time to compare the two expressions of the same vineyard, ViNotte and Primi Passi. If you appreciate small-production wines shaped as much by their method as by their terroir, this cuvée offers a concrete way to approach the understated Tuscany of Sàgona.
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