Ajola, Bianco #2

A brilliant straw yellow in the glass, it draws you in with delicate notes of minerals and smoke, whilst the palate is taut and saline. Whistle clean, it is a wine of impeccable balance.

Grapes: Procanico, Malvasia Toscana, Verdello, Drupeggio

Place: Umbria, Italy

ABV: 12.5%

Colour: Orange

Vintage: 2020

PRODUCER PROFILE

Ajola is a small farm situated in the rolling hills outside Orvieto, at the crossroads of Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany. Here, Jacopo Battista farms three and a half hectares of vines up to seventy five years old planted over sandy loam of volcanic origin. Facing east at some 440 metres above sea level, the situation lends a fresh, fragrant character to the wines. Recently, Jacopo has also begun farming a further hectare and a half of Procanico and Ansonica from old vineyards closer to Lago di Bolsena, where the volcanic soils are made up of black sand and stones.

At time the vineyards had been neglected for decades and he spent several years nurturing the plants back to life, replanting and grafting from old massale cuttings. He has worked organically from the outset, treating the vines with just a small amount of copper and sulphur and preparing various herbal teas to boost their health.