2016 Sintria Romagna Albana Secco
€245.00
Sintria captivates the taster at first sight with its brilliant golden reflections and a beautiful consistency that is prelude to a rich and complex palate. To the nose arise fruity notes of peach, apricot and golden apple, completed by floral hints and light tertiary sensations (vanilla). To the palate it is intense, full-bodied, soft, well supported on an acid frame and a savoury note that guarantees a perfect balance.
Technical
Appellation: Romagna Albana D.O.G.C. Secco
Variety: 100% Albana
Brand: Tenuta del Principe
Soil: Medium Mixture
Residual Sugar: dry
Ageing Process: Sur Lies in small French Oak Barrels
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Vinification
Not so humbly should you be drunk, rather you should be drunk in gold to pay homage to your sweet taste!
Legend has it that this was the exclamation of Galla Placidia, daughter of Emperor Theodosius, tasting the Albana wine, offered in a rough earthenware jug by the inhabitants of a small village of Romagna on her journey to Tuscany. The name of the village of Bertinoro (“Drink-in-gold”), a small village near Cesena, is derived from this legendary quotation and from the anecdote can be perfectly grasped the regal aura and the extraordinary potentiality of perhaps the most famous native grape of Romagna.
This extraordinariness, closely linked to the ability of this grape to guarantee a unique balance between freshness, alcohol content and sugar residue, is testified by an important record that Albana – to be precise, its passito version – can boast at the level of legislative recognition: in 1987 it became the first Italian white wine to obtain the authoritative recognition of the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG), a title which today the dry, medium and sweet versions can also bear.
To the whole of a line born in Romagna and which has excellence as its objective, a tribute to this genuine treasure of the Romagna wine tradition could not be missed. It is here proposed in a dry version further enhanced by a delicate aging in wood.
The important structure conferred by its passage in wood makes Sintria an excellent companion for fish preparations of moderate intensity, risottos and selected cheeses of matured cheeses such as Formaggio di Fossa (pit cheese).
Awards
"Brilliant antique gold. Broad and varied nose, ranging from baked apples with dried flowers to chestnut honey. On the palate the alcohol content dominates and creates an enveloping warmth. Concludes on a nutty return. Recommended pairing: cod with raisins and pine nuts. ("Emilia-Romagna da Bere" 2020 Wine Guide)
Tasted blind. Pale amber and the appearance of a sweet wine. Sweet, honeyed deep fruit with nutty (oak?) notes. Opens up like a sweet wine. Notes of orange liqueur, caramelised orange and lemon curd with nutty hints and ripe lemony acidity on the palate. Viscous and full-bodied. Probably dry but gives the impression of a little residual sugar on the finish offset by soft, bitter tannins. (Walter Speller)
