Toscano Bianco Fonterenza 2018 (Skin contact white wine)

Toscano Bianco Fonterenza, biodynamic wine, low sulphur wine, a blend of Ansonica, Vermentino, Trebbiano, Malvasia, no added sulphites, superb texture, complexity, biting bitterness. The Vines are located in Capalbio, on the south coast of Tuscany. Red clay soils. Vines are 50 years old vinification is made with skin contact maceration over 11 days in stainless steel tanks. 11 days would make 100% orange wine with many grape varieties, with this Trebbiano, the wine is not totally orange wine style, more a skin contact white. Beautifully fresh and uplifting wine with background texture and depth. Fonterenza manage to make wines that are both very authentic and very elegant at the same time. Both whites and reds are magnificent and getting better every year.

Fonterenza was founded by two twin sisters Margherita and Francesca Padovani in 1999 who had a life-long dream to make wine. They started out with just 1.5 hectares which has now grown to 4.2 hectares, though still tiny in wine terms. Keeping production small though means that these two sisters make truly beautiful wines. Their natural vineyard site lies on clay-limestone soils 420 metres above sea level and all the work is done according to biodynamic principles. In good years they use no sulphur at all and the wines often have that lovely vibrancy and life of wine that is unveiled from sulphur.