Summertime, and the living is easy. A salad, grilled fish marinated in soy sauce, ginger and garlic, an inexpensive white wine that's easy to drink, and you're all set ... But hey -- you're a wine lover and you won't settle for a white wine that isn't high in quality. And interesting. It should fascinate you, but be affordable.
Fortunately, that isn't too much to ask. This white from the Friuli region, in extreme northeastern Italy, is good enough for a special occasion but affordable enough for everyday. It's easy to drink and yet it can withstand the scrutiny of a critical professional palate.
'Molamatta' is a wine blended from equal parts of the native Tocai Friulano and Pinot Blanc, along with 20 percent Ribolla Gialla, another native variety. The name comes from the vicinity where the grapes grow. The wine ages in neutral, old oak casks and is essentially unoaked in today's sense, but the aromas and flavors are complex enough that you might get a hint of woody spice. It's full-bodied, weighing in at 13 degrees alcohol, and it's completely dry, with a broad structure in the mouth despite its high acidity.
Collio, the region of production of this wine, is a hilly area situated between the Adriatic Sea and the Dolomite mountains in southeastern Friuli, bordering Slovenia, and is generally considered the finest white wine zone in all of Italy. This is mainly an area for varietal wines: the DOC regulations for Collio provide for nine different dry white varietal wines, as well as three varietal reds. But the regulations also permit a blended white wine, because the area has a great tradition for blended wines. Many producers in this area price their blended white higher than their varietal whites.
Marco Felluga began making wine in Friuli in the 19th century. Today his grandson, also named Marco, operates three separate estates in Friuli, the most renowned of which is Russiz Superiore. Molamatta falls under the basic 'Marco Felluga' label, which accounts for its excellent value.
This wine shows the wisdom of blending. When you taste it, it begins by showing its Tocai component, as a peachy/apricot note in the aroma and the flavor, and a suggestion of honey. But as you toss the wine around in your mouth, you get something a bit austere, minerally, steely; that's the Pinot Blanc coming through. One moment, the texture is rich and creamy, thanks to the Tocai and Ribolla. Then it has a clean, no-nonsense edge: Pinot Blanc. The wine plays with the mouth the way a gyroscope plays with the eyes.
Besides grilled fish and salads, sushi will be a great accompaniment to this wine, as would any dish with fresh, vibrant flavors.
90 Points
