Tappero Merlo
KIN
2016
Tappero Merlo KIN Erbaluce di Caluso
Tappero Merlo KIN has an intense straw yellow color with great liveliness and consistency. An elegant note of sage blends with intriguing balsamic and spicy scents in this dry, still white wine. Additionally, the olfactory profile of clear mineral origin is made complete with citrus, flowers, and herbs. Long persistence and great balance. Its alpine spirit, or clear mineral imprint will only increase if you have patience to let it rest in a cool cellar.
VINEYARD
Designation
Grape Varieties
Type
Soil
Vineyard Care
WINERY
Fermentation
Aging
Alcohol
Certifications
Serving Temperature
AT HOME
Cellaring
100% Erbaluce
Dry, still white wine
The soils are morainic; mostly sand, with some silt and clay
No chemicals, herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers used. Very low use of copper substituted largely by cerevisiae yeast and herbal teas. Harvest is at the end of September.
Indigenous yeasts start the fermentation which takes place in steel at a controlled temperature and ends in the 20 hectolitre oak barrels.
18-20 months with weekly bâttonage, then a few months in concrete tanks to settle. Aged a further two years in bottle. Minimal sulfur added only at bottling.
13%
Certified organic vineyard with some biodynamic practices.
55°F (16°C)
Up to 10 years
Appearance:
Pale gold
Taste:
Medium intensity wine with flavors of lime juice, chalk, wet sand, and grapefruit. The finish is interesting because it is saline, with brioche and fennel fronds. Some oak presence on the palate.
Nose:
Pineapple, Golden Delicious apple, jasmine, lime, fennel frond, celery salt, concrete, oyster shell, gravel, and kiwi.
Pairing:
Pasta carbonara, halibut with almond crust, lobster, chicken, pork, and polenta.
Why We Love This Wine
Tappero Merlo KIN changed our idea of Italian white wine. We had previously thought of them as refreshing and good but simple, until we 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. It could be compared 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.
$45 / Bottle
About the Winery
Being loyal and respectful to your "terroir" is fundamental to reach original and authentic results. Protecting and saving what was donated to us by past generations is the strongest and most revolutionary act we could do today. These are the philosophies of Domenico Tappero Merlo. He wants to narrate the story of his land through Erbaluce. KIN was his grandfather, a simple man with big values. His life followed the rhythm of nature and the vineyard because nothing was more important than his wine - his Erbaluce. KIN is a tribute from his grandson.
Images Courtesy of Tappero Merlo