2011 Miani Malvasia

What a treat it is to discover
Miani’s 2011 Malvasia, one of the rarest wines proprietor Enzo Pontoni has ever
made. Still remarkably fresh, the 2011 presents striking nuance, texture and
finesse, all supported by intense beams of minerality that are unusual for a
warm, early-ripening vintage that on paper was not especially well-suited to
the production of top quality white wines. Peach and apricot pit nuances are
pushed forward, followed by suggestions of slate, pear and white flowers. The
2011 is unctuous and resonant on the palate, but never heavy. This is an
especially intense, ripe style of Malvasia, with varietal character in evidence
mostly on the palate, while the aromatic dimensions of this indigenous grape
lie more in the background, partially baked out by the warmth of the year.

&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1438009361517-Miani+2011+Malvasia+2+-+Copy.jpg">

I remember the first time I
visited Miani, with its small cellar and patchwork of tiny old-vine parcels. It
took me several years to get an appointment. Every time I called, Enzo
Pontoni’s mother would tell me my only chance of catching him was either during
lunch or late in the evening because the rest of the time he was in the
vineyards, where his lavish attention to the plants is the stuff of legends. As
far as I know, the 2011 is the first and, so far only, Malvasia Pontoni has
bottled. Production was so small the wine was never presented to me with the
rest of the 2011 whites. I am grateful to the Vinous readers who pointed out
its existence! Once again, we are reminded that so many of the world’s finest
wines are the product of the land as interpreted by growers with extraordinary
passion and an unending drive to produce only the very best. 94/Drinking window: 2015-2021.

-- Antonio Galloni

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