White macerated wines, or orange wines, are the trend of the moment according to The Guardian. They are produced by macerating the skins of white grapes with the must derived from them, a process that can last a few hours or even several months, obviously with very different results. In the first case, we would have a macerated white wine where the contact with the skins mainly gives a bright yellow colour with golden reflections; in the second case, when maceration extends, it’s not just the colour and aromatic profile that change, but also the texture in the mouth: the wine now becomes truly "orange" and has greater consistency on the palate and a pseudo-tannic sensation.
The containers used for this process can vary: steel, wood, terracotta, cocciopesto, depending on the final result the producer wants to achieve. Fermentations, as mentioned, can be spontaneous, without the addition of yeasts, or induced. And the grapes? Some are more suitable than others: generally, those with thicker skins are preferred, capable of withstanding long periods of maceration. Among the best are ribolla gialla and vitovska, native to Friuli, and indeed it is no coincidence that the revival of Italian orange wines began with two Friulian producers, Joško Gravner and Stanko Radikon, whose work has invigorated an entire area, the Oslavia region, which is the queen of this type of wine production.
From Piedmont to Sicily, our tasting panels encounter more and more samples: sometimes the results are surprising, wines with captivating charm, with aromatic profiles as multifaceted as they are complex, with a calibrated palatal thickness that never yields to softness.
Other times we encounter bouquets that may be less precise, but with a mouthfeel endowed with energy and rhythm thanks to the tannic surges given by the maceration. Yet other times, we have to deal with completely inappropriate wines, flawed, astringent, merely cloudy, not at all pleasant, heavy. It is up to the sensitivity of the individual producer to create one type of wine or another, carefully evaluating the potential but especially the "macerative" critical points of their grapes.
The best Orange Wines: Tre Bicchieri and Due Bicchieri Rossi
Below is the list of macerated (orange) wines that particularly impressed us last year during tastings for the 2024 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia guide, achieving the highest scores. Friuli Venezia Giulia stands out for the number of awarded or finalist labels, but Sicily also distinguishes itself. And there is even an Albana from Romagna.
Emilia-Romagna
The wines of the winemaker Filippo Manetti from Vigne di San Lorenzo are all products of great character where the territory and the vintage are respected and guarantee authenticity worth highlighting. We were particularly impressed by Anam Orange, a macerated white with a beautiful savoury texture.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
The Collio Chardonnay Ris. 2018 from Primosic, White Wine of the Year 2024 for Gambero Rosso, has a fascinating evolved and spicy touch on the nose, while on the palate it boasts a marvellous gustatory depth. It has flavour, savoury texture, and an interminable persistence. Marko and Boris Primosic manage the company founded in 1956 by their father Silvestro. The Oslavia area hosts a considerable number of family-run businesses that have written and continue to write the history of Collio. It is well known that in these parts the use of ancestral winemaking techniques is widespread, derived from ancient cross-border traditions, which include long macerations on the skins even for whites. In this case, the result is light and elegant.
The splendid Malvasia 2020 by Sandi Skerk reconquers the Tre Bicchieri. Sandi Skerk is one of the best interpreters of viticulture in the Carso. To understand what is meant by "heroic viticulture" one must visit these places, where the conflict between man and rock is part of daily life. Local traditions foresee that the maceration of the skins in the must can last several weeks, followed by simple transfers and above all no filtration. Last year, the wines were not presented as Sandi decided to give them an additional period of bottle ageing so they could better express their characteristics. A very appropriate choice, given the results.
The Collio Pinot Grigio Skin Ris. 2020 from Primosic is rich in character and nuances. Marko and Boris Primosic manage the company founded in 1956 by their father Silvestro. The Oslavia area hosts a considerable number of family-run businesses that have written and continue to write the history of Collio. It is well known that in these parts the use of ancestral winemaking techniques is widespread, derived from ancient cross-border traditions, which include long macerations on the skins even for whites.
Excellent is the Pinot Grigio Ram 2016 from Vigne del Malina, the result of a long maceration on the skins. The philosophy embraced by Roberto Bacchetti is centred on demonstrating that even in the plain, with low yields and meticulous care, it is possible to obtain wines of the highest quality and especially long-lasting ones. The wines are marketed several years after the harvest, at least three, when they have reached a level of ageing deemed appropriate for their type.
With the Monviert brand, elegant wines are offered as a result of careful selections, the pride of a company that has written many pages of regional oenology in over seventy years of history and has now completely renewed itself, giving way to the fresh energy of the new generation. The extensive selection of wines made available to us, with an excellent team performance, confirmed the company's progress in its climb towards excellence, as demonstrated by the Ribolla Gialla Ris. 2019 from Monviert.
The Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia 2021 from Fiegl is one of the best labels from the winery. The Fiegl family's story is one of a cohesive and close-knit group that, coming from neighbouring Austria, settled in the northernmost part of Collio, in Oslavia, in 1782. The new generation has long been active in the company, bringing additional energy to a well-established production reality that honours the peculiarities of Collio.
The Ribolla Gialla Ris. 2020 from Tenuta Stella, the result of a long maceration on the skins, presents with a bright golden yellow, smells of crème brûlée, barley candy, and beeswax, and offers a dry and smooth sip. Tenuta Stella, founded in 2010 by Sergio Stevanato, extends in the highest part of Collio, in the Dolegna area, in Scriò, where the hills enjoy a particular microclimate and ideal sun exposure, characterised by steep slopes, challenging to work but generous in dispensing unique qualities. The management is entrusted to Erika Barbieri and Alberto Faggiani, a highly valued technical staff working organically.
The Ribolla Gialla Riserva 2019 from Primosic is full, complete, with a long finish of sesame and toasted almond. Marko and Boris Primosic manage the company founded in 1956 by their father Silvestro. It is well known that in these parts the use of ancestral winemaking techniques is widespread, derived from ancient cross-border traditions, which include long macerations on the skins even for whites, especially for Ribolla Gialla.
The Vitovska V. Collection 2016, after a 20-day maceration with the skins, matures for 22 months in large Slavonian oak barrels before ageing further in the bottle. Tre Bicchieri well deserved. Benjamin Zidarich revolutionised his father's company in 1988, which at the time had only half a hectare of vineyard, gradually expanding it and favouring the native varieties of the territory until it reached a considerable size. Those who have never visited the vineyards and cellars of the Trieste Carso cannot have an exact measure of what is meant by heroic viticulture. The climate, moderately continental on the plateau, is characterised by the influence of the Adriatic Sea and the cold Bora wind, which often blows violently. The wines interpret the characteristics of the Carso, starting from the bright colours, continuing with iodised and briny aromas, and then marking the minerality of the territory.
The Castelvecchio winery, owned by the Terraneo family since 1978, is among the most flourishing wine realities of the Gorizia Carso. The Vitovska 2022 excels for fragrance and drinkability. The aromas are iodised, reminiscent of thyme and the sea; the mouth is rich, with hints of dried fruit and herbs, for a saline and prolonged finish. It naturally calls for a salt-baked fish.
The motto of the Andrej and Nevo Skerlj brothers is "Live the Unusual Carso" as it can provide, besides wine, genuine products that are expressions of the territory. In the splendid Bajta Fattoria Carsica cellar nestled in the rock, three local cultivars are vinified: terrano, vitovska, and malvasia.
Sicily
The Catarratto Orange AV01 '21 won us over with its fascinating nose of bergamot, Mediterranean herbs, and underbrush with an elegant smoky note; in the mouth, it is tonic, fresh, savoury, very persistent, and clean in the finish. Rallo is a historic Marsala winery founded in 1860, acquired in 1997 by the Vesco family, who cultivate their own vineyards in Pattipiccolo, between Monreale and Alcamo; in 2007, Andrea Vesco, leading the company, began the organic conversion of the land. The grapes come from three territories: Pattipiccolo, the largest extension with 68 hectares; Piane Liquide, ten hectares of grillo near the Stagnone Reserve, and two hectares of zibibbo bush vines in Bugeber, Pantelleria.
The SM Vino di Contrada 2021 from Arianna Occhipinti, pure grillo, reached the finals during our tastings for the 2024 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia guide: it has a bouquet of elegant marine and herbal notes of caper and salicornia with a hint of hydrocarbons; in the mouth, it is savoury, deep, and fleshy. In full harmony with her land, Arianna "listens" and interprets the story told by the vineyards she knows and cares for with dedication in each harvest: they are located in the noblest part of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria area, along an ancient road between Gela and Kamarina. The winery with the wine press is located in Fossa di Lupo, the other estate crus are in the Bombolieri, Bastonaca, and Pettineo areas; in the cellar as in the vineyard, the raw material is free to express itself naturally. SM is Santa Margherita, the contrada near Chiaramonte Gulfi where Arianna has been cultivating the raw material for this wine since 2016.
The Modus Bibendi Bianco Macerato 2019 from Elios (blend of grillo 33%, catarratto 33%, zibibbo 33%) reached the finals during our tastings for the 2024 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia guide. The batch of wines presented by the Alcamo-based company of partners Nicola Adamo and Guido Grillo confirmed their excellent level. Also noteworthy is the Glou Glou '22, a pleasant Nerello Mascalese with its notes of cherry, black cherry, and watermelon, and an agile mouthfeel. The Grillo Modus Bibendi '21 is of great personality.
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