If you’ve followed SommSelect since our inception, you’re likely aware of my love for the wines of Elisabetta Foradori. Elisabetta is arguably the most consistently brilliant and critically acclaimed grower/winemaker in Italy’s Dolomite-studded Trentino region.
Though she has enjoyed decades of accolades for her red wines, I often find myself even more impressed by her limited-release whites from exotic 'Dolomitese' varieties like Nosiola and today’s Manzoni. It probably goes without saying that these are not simple “meat and potatoes” whites for novices. On the contrary, they are extremely elevated, complex—and, for me, rank among the most soulful, site-specific, seriously delicious whites in all of Italy. Elisabetta is also one of the most passionate practitioners of organic and biodynamic farming I’ve ever met. When you drink her wines, you can be sure that not one drop of chemical herbicide or pesticide is finding its way into your glass. That’s why in Milan, Copenhagen, New York, or San Francisco, you’ll find Foradori whites listed on wine lists in the best restaurants—but due to extremely limited production, you won’t often see them on retail shelves. I’m a card-carrying Foradori believer but even so, SommSelect hasn’t been able to offer this Manzoni in four years! So, please take advantage of this opportunity to see what all the fuss is about.
Elisabetta Foradori grew up in the tiny 2,000-person village of Mezzolombardo in the Dolomites, about 45 minutes south of the Austrian border. Her father, a cooperative grape farmer, passed away when she was in middle school, leaving Elisabetta to tend the vines. In her teens, Elisabetta left high school and enrolled in a university enology program. By age 19, she was supervising all aspects of harvest and production at Foradori. Over the next decade, Elisabetta transitioned the family farm from bulk wine and grape sales into bottling and selling their own wines. In an era when her region was becoming overrun with the industrial production of cheap Pinot Grigio, Elisabetta defiantly persisted with the same indigenous grape varieties her father and grandfather farmed: Teroldego, Nosiola, and the variety showcased in today's offer: Manzoni Bianco. Manzoni Bianco is a genetic cross of Pinot Blanc and Riesling. It has the fleshy peach/yellow apple fruit of the former wed with the structure and mineral freshness of the latter. The grapes in this bottling come from the famed “Fontanasanta” (“holy fountain”) vineyard, one of the Trentino's undisputed grand crus. Composed entirely of iron rich (and thus,
pink-hued) limestone, the vineyard rests on a 1.8-hectare hillside of terraced vines planted above an ancient stone fountain. The Fontanasanta vineyard has been continuously producing wine since the 1400s.
I expect you will find it challenging to keep a full glass of Elisabetta’s 2016 Manzoni Bianco. It’s just exploding with yellow apple, white peach, perfectly ripe apricot and a brisk gust of mountain herbs and shattered stone. Golden yellow tones in the center move to green and transparent reflections on the rim. On the palate, this wine is a mouthful of tart yellow apple, lime, and stone fruit dusted with subtly exotic green mango, watermelon rind, and mineral notes. I encourage you to decant for one hour in your refrigerator, then serve it at 50-55 degrees in large Burgundy stems. This is a fascinatingly complex wine so don’t overshadow it with busy cuisine. I served it alongside braised chicken thighs and Mark Bittman’s classic caper/shallot/mustard
potato salad. Judging by the empty plates and (two!) empty bottles, I’d say the combination was a hit!
