Principessa Bianca 2018
IGT, Paolo Conterno, 750 ml
Chardonnay with a Tuscan soul
- Principessa Bianca – a full-bodied Chardonnay, vinified by the traditional Paolo Conterno winery.
- Floral notes, ripe stone fruit, citrus zest and a hint of almond. Full-bodied, smooth and with beautiful depth on the palate.
- Pairs well with vitello tonnato, polenta with mushrooms and creamy sauces. Has ageing potential and gains depth with time.
Description
Principessa Bianca is a full-bodied Chardonnay – a white wine bearing the typical signature of Paolo Conterno, who, in addition to his main winery in Piedmont, also operates a vineyard in the heart of Tuscany. It has a finely nuanced bouquet with aromas of ripe stone fruit, white flowers, citrus zest and a hint of almond. It is harmonious on the palate, with a delicate creaminess and pleasant fullness. Enjoy this “Principessa” with vitello tonnato, polenta with mushrooms or poultry with sauce. Very good ageing potential – those who allow the wine some time in the bottle will be rewarded with additional depth and fine maturity.
Attributes
| Grape variety: | Chardonnay |
| Producer: | Paolo Conterno – Tenuta Ortaglia |
| Origin: | Italy / Toscana |
| Label: | Vegan |
| Ripening potential: | 2 to 10 years |
| Drinking temperature: | 10 to 12 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Mushroom ragout, Apéro pastries, Fresh water fish with cream sauce, Risotto ai frutti di mare, Bouillabaisse |
| Vinification: | cooling period, fermentation in steel tank |
| Harvest: | hand-picking, strict selection |
| Maturation: | in partly new and used barriques/ Pièces, long cultivation, on the yeast |
| Bottling: | no filtration |
| Maturation duration: | 10 months |
| Volume: | 14.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Paolo Conterno – Tenuta Ortaglia
With Tenuta Ortaglia, Giorgio Conterno has combined his Piedmontese origins with a Tuscan passion. In addition to his Barolos from Piedmont, he is now devoting himself to a second project close to his heart – a place that has captivated him for years.
«Fate brought me to Ortaglia,’ he says. ‘I happened to hear about it, and shortly afterwards I was there. I knew immediately that Ortaglia was a special place.’ It took eight years to complete the takeover. ‘But it was worth it. Tuscany and Piedmont are the two regions where I can best express my passion – living close to nature and working in the vineyard to create wines, as I learned to do according to old traditions.»
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Chardonnay
King or beggar?
Hardly any variety of vine shows such a broad spectrum of quality as the Chardonnay. Its wines range from faceless neutrality to breath-taking class. It is an extremely low-maintenance vine, which explains why it is grown around the world – even in places where it probably should not be. The aromas of the Chardonnay variety are not very pronounced: a bit of green apple, a little hazelnut; in warmer latitudes, also melon and exotic fruits. The wines are often defined by maturing in casks. They develop more or less subtle notes of butter, toasted bread and vanilla. The grapes achieve their highest expression in their region of origin, Burgundy. Its heart beats in the Côte de Beaune: one might think of the plant growth of Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. With their finesse and complexity, they can survive for decades. Chardonnay also achieves first class in some Blanc-de-Blancs champagnes. It additionally yields great wines in the Burgundian Chablis, and increasingly in Australia and Chile. A simple rule of thumb for pairing with food: When butter and cream are involved, you cannot go wrong with Chardonnay.
Italy
Italy – Where wine is a way of life
The Italian wine regions are extremely diverse, and this is made clear in their wines. Established varieties such as Merlot, Syrah, and Sauvignon can be found on just 15 percent of the total vine growing area. The remaining 85 percent is reserved for autochthonous, indigenous varieties. More than 2,000 different grape varieties are grown under diverse conditions and pressed with various techniques into wines that reach the top tier of the international wine market.
