Frecciarossa - "Gli Orti" Riesling Oltrepò Pavese, 2019
Frecciarossa’s history dates back to 1919 when Mario Odero, the current owner’s great-grandfather, came back from WWI and purchased a 19th century mansion amongst the rolling hills of Oltrepò Pavese. The mansion sat on top of a hill called “Frecciarossa” (which means “red arrow” in Italian), named after the soil’s colour which was rich in red clay. Mario Odero studied wine in Burgundy and Champagne, bringing French fine-wine principles to Italy and the start of one of the longest established wineries in the Oltrepò Pavese region. In 2011, Valeria Radici Odero took the reins of the Frecciarossa estate.
For “Gli Orti”, the Riesling grapes are sourced from the foothills around the town of Casteggio. After a delicate pressing, the grapes are aged for 12 months in stainless-steel vats before spending an additional 4 months in bottle before release.
In the glass, the wine is a brilliant transparent yellow. The colour is interspersed with glimpses of gold.
On the nose, it has a medium+ intensity of flavours. Fruity notes of juicy citrus, white nectarine and yellow plums alternate with flowery undertones (jasmine, lemon blossoms, acacia), with an underbrush of ginger and flint pebbles.
On the palate, the attack is fruity and consistent with the flavours detected on the nose. A lovely flinty minerality is evident in the mid-palate, along with whiffs of white flowers and suggestions of dill and baking powder. The wine is medium in body, with a crystalline high acidity that perfectly counterpoints the fleshy fruity aromas. The finish is medium to long. Balanced and harmonious, this wine is very versatile when it comes to food pairing.