#99 Inzolia – 401 grapes left

Micro bubbles in the glass upon serving it. It was such a whitish yellow color, very clear. On the nose it was delightful.

WINE DETAILS:

Grape: Inzolia
Alcohol: 13%
Wine: CALEO
Vintage: 2020
Winery: Casa Vinicola Botter
IGT: Terre Siciilane
Location: Sicily, Italy
Date: 9/9/21
Distributor: B-21 Fine Wine & Spirits

Curious Synonyms: Ansonica, Anzulu, Arba Solika, Inselida, Nzolia di Lipari, Zolia Blanca

Nerd Alert: It is thought to have originated on the island of Sicily, and is related to other Sicilian natives like Grillo and Nerello Mascalese. A grape that goes by the name “Irziola” is mentioned by Pliny the Elder in “Naturalis Historia”, but there is no evidence to suggest this is the same variety.

Personal Note: I know a lot of people have this thing with white wine where they see it as less than it’s red counterpart. That it’s just a starter wine, and with a few exceptions it’s all the same. For a while I was part of that group. But this list has given me such an appreciation for white grapes. The diversity, the flavors, the stories, the terroirs. There’s no way I can go back.

I had never heard of this grape neither by this name or it’s Italy’s mainland name Ansonica. And yet is another possible grape mentioned in the Greatest Hits album of DJ Pliny the Elder. It’s incredible how much I’ve written that persons name in this list. Before this I had no idea who he was. Now he’s become the Robert Parker of grapes for me.

So the expression of this wine was interesting. Micro bubbles in the glass upon serving it. It was such a whitish yellow color, very clear. On the nose it was delightful, some fruit combo like between green apples and light citrus profiles and some nuttiness which I’ve come to love in wine. It was exciting on palate. Every sip would create a curious sensation on the tip of my tongue. But it wasn’t sweetness which is what mostly you feel there. It was like…does anybody remember the candy pop rocks? Well a very subtle version of that. Every sip. It was kind of cool actually. It was dry, it definitely wasn’t light and the acidity was smack in the middle. Shouldn’t have drink it without food. It kind of crave something.

Well…and then there was one.

Thoughts?

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*Sources for the wine facts are from: Wine Searcher, Wikipedia, Vivino, wine.com, and the wineries websites.

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