Hey Concarena

One of the best things about this job is the opportunity to discover small, unknown wineries. Concarena in Valcamonica is a case in point.

I have never personally met Enrico Angeli. We have only spoken on the phone a few times after I had the opportunity to sample his Videt Bianco 2016 in a blind tasting at the Decanter World Wine Award in London. It is a truly surprising Riesling produced in Capo di Ponte.

Valcamonica, famous for its prehistoric caves, has for some years now become famous also for its wines, in particular the Rhine Riesling, Marzemino and Merlot. This is a vertical valley exposed to northern winds but sufficiently protected to create the ideal conditions for those varietals that love sharp diurnal temperature differences.

Concarena is a small wine estate that produces just over 8,000 bottles a year of only three types of wine and here we will look at two of the whites: Videt 2019 and Mat 2018, the latter made mostly from Rhine Riesling with a 20% addition of Sauvignon, both subject to noble rot.

Production is totally sustainable with energy from solar panels, no fertilization and all work done by hand. During the winter, sheep graze amid the vineyards which in September host itinerant apiarists. The wines have no certification nor any indication of being “natural” and yet some are outstanding, very little known and made with tailor-like precision.

Hey Concarena.

Vallecamonica Mat 2018

95/100 - € 25

A blend of 80% Rhine Riesling and 20% Sauvignon slightly infected with botrytis. Made only in stainless steel maturing on the lees for 10 months. The wine has a clear, yellow-green color and a surprisingly complex bouquet of grapefruit, citron, aromatic herbs and hints of hydrocarbon. The mouthfeel is subtle, lively, very agile and nicely upheld by an acidity balanced by the light sugar residue. The aftertaste is excellent.

Vallecamonica Riesling Videt 2019

93/100 - € 18

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