Ageno - 2018
La Stoppa
- Region
- Italy 禄 Vino
- Type
- white still, dry
- Producer
- La Stoppa
- Vintage
- 2018
- Grapes
- Malvasia di Candia Aromatica
- Alcohol
- 13
- Sugar
- 0.6
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
This wine is named after the founder of La Stoppa, lawyer Ageno, who was the first to believe and give value the great potential of this area. The only dry white wine of the estate, obtained after a long spontaneous maceration from grapes of this hot and low yielding land. A person responsible for production is Giulio Armani.
- First Production: 2002
- Agriculture: Organic, natural green cover between the rows. No fertilizing, weed killers or pesticides
- Soil Type: Clay Silt
- Trellis System: Simple Guyot
- Age of vines: 20 years
- Density: 6000 plants per hectare
- Vinification: 4 months maceration on skins in stainless steel and/or cement tanks
- Fermentation and aging: Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, aged in 40 hectolitre wooden tanks and in bottle for a time necessary, no filtration or sulphites added
- Produced: 23 800 bottles, around 200 arrived to Ukraine.
Ratings
I was pleasantly surprised to come across this bottle, instantly changing any non-drinking plans. And what a banger it is! The nose greets you with lemongrass, ginger, peach, dried medicinal herbs, and buckwheat honey, all enveloped in a subtle shroud of VA. It's intense and friendly, yet multilayered and sophisticated, showcasing great fruit quality and acidity. The palate is beautifully elevated by the well-integrated VA, which enhances rather than disrupts the experience. Flavors of peach, pecan tart, and buckwheat honey add to its complexity. Despite being super young, the wine is dangerously quaffable. And the bottle is in excellent condition. Lucky me.
This wine is akin to the comforting feeling of returning home after a long journey, meeting expectations with a welcoming array of familiar aromas like lemongrass, ginger, peach, dried medicinal herbs, and buckwheat honey. Its nearly perfect balance, complexity, and multiple layers are underpinned by good acidity that supports its powerful tannins. The aftertaste is notably long, providing delightful flavours of pecan tart and buckwheat honey. The presence of VA is prominent throughout the wine, yet it's skillfully integrated, contributing to the overall harmony. This bottle showcases its quality, proving to be in excellent condition.
Some things are anchors in this ever-changing world. Complex, multilayered and delicious. I love how it manages to stay friendly and open.
As expected, it's changing little by little after the trip to Ukraine. In some sense, a benchmark orange wine. As with every other wine of this evening, I served it blind. It was amazing to see how everyone guessed that it was Ageno. And every person notes how skilfully it's made. Oxidized apple, dried apricot, dried herbs, and VA. Complex, multilayered and tasty.
Still nervous after the long trip to Ukraine, but already incredible. Top orange wine, charged with potential. Honey, ginger, forgotten apple that oxidized, dried apricot, and dried medicinal herbs. Good acidity, powerful tannin. Definitely, a wine to buy by cases and drink occasionally to witness its development. By the way, this is my first Ageno of even vintage.
La Stoppa
La Stoppa is a legendary historic estate that was founded in 19th century by a lawyer named Giancarlo Ageno. Initially focused on Bordeaux varieties, nowadays its vineyards are occupied by local Barbera, Bonarda and Malvasia. Elena Pantaleoni, current owner of the estate, works closely with famous enologist Giulio Armani (that has his own side project called Denavolo) to craft wines expressive of place and grape. They are advocates of minimal intervention along with usage of huge Slavonian oak botti and used French barriques. Also they are farming organically since 1990's and in 2008 they even acquired proper certification.