
Tappero Merlo KIN 2016
This wine changed my idea of Italian white wines. I had previously thought of them as refreshing and good but simple, until I tried KIN. This was so complex, so lively! Intriguing nose is equal parts fruit, floral, herbal and mineral. It has some weight and oak, yet finishes so refreshingly with lime and salt. I could compare this to a Chardonnay from the Maconnaise or Côte Chalonnaise, but more interesting...
Plus, Erbaluce might be the best grape you have never heard of. It is one of the few DOCG's in Italy for white wines. Erbaluce, translating to “dawn light” derives its name from its thick skins, which turn amber in light. Its wines can be very acidic if not grown in the sunniest of sites. This vineyard has history as well, it was owned by Giuseppe Giacosa, who wrote the lyrics for many of Puccini's Operas. Today it is owned by Domenico Tappero Merlo whose care for the land and attention to detail create an incredible and age worthy wine year after year.