Blanco de Pinot Noir 2024 

Aniello

It’s Pinot Noir, Captain, but not as we know it.

Let’s be honest folks, a lot of white wines made from black grapes sit very much at the gimmick-laden end of the spectrum. All those bloody awful ‘white Malbecs’… gawd! This is no such beast. With fruit from Aniello’s Mainque Chacra 006 vineyard in the high valley part of Rio Negro (the whole area is relatively low altitude of course) grown on sandy / silty soils, this Pinot Noir actually displays distinctly Pinot-esque characteristics on the nose with wonderful, delicate wafts of wild raspberry and strawberry. In the mouth it is broad and richly textured but there is uplifting acidity and a finish redolent of ripe citrus fruits and white flowers with a subtle tropical touch. Hand selected bunches are received in the cool of early morning and picked a little earlier than those for the red wine. After a gentle press combined with CO2 pellets to keep the temperature right down and minimise oxidation, the must is clarified in stainless steel before being transferred to small concrete pots for fermentation.

This is an irresistible wine for Pinot geeks and lovers of white wines with lots of body and personality.

92 / 100, Descorchados (2016 vintage)

90 / 100, Tim Atkin (2016 vintage)