Emma says: “Shuffle over Gavi, this little grape is the northern Italian white that really deserves the spotlight. It has that bone dry crisp and refreshing style that fans of Pinot Grigio love but so much more in flavour.
As I wrote in my page on this grape it’s also a favourite with locals. And I love the fact its name means “little rascal”
This version from Ascheri is a perfect example. Slightly honeysuckle floral on the nose, but it really comes alive on the palate, pear compote and cream flavours but that fresh acidity to balance that makes the mouth water. I don’t think you’d find many other examples better than this.
For more ideas on other grapes to try or food matches check out the Arneis page I’ve written. But my perfect food match for this wine would be a lovely chicken breast casserole in a creamy sauce, the peachy flavours of the wine would combine nicely and the fresh acidity could cut through the sauce.”
Andy says: “Disclaimer: I tasted this after eating some home made garlic bread, so not ideal palate preparation.
I quite liked this wine, it was clean and crisp, but to be honest I don’t have much more to say, it’s just a bit ‘white wine-y’. It’s definitely fruity, but I’m not really getting any of the ‘classic’ apple and peachy notes that I’m supposed to. Garlic, yes, apple, no. Would I drink it again? Yeah, it’s not offensive in any way, just a bit middle of the road.”
Wine – Roero Arneis 2017 Marco Porello (Majestic £10)
This wine is a very pale golden colour.
I have to say the aroma on this wine was amazing! Very fresh and zesty; mainly melon and lemon, definitely one of the most ‘fresh’ smelling wines I have ever tried, but thankfully with the right balance of acid.
The dry edge to the taste tames the fruit, with grassy notes in abundance. The wine reminded me of a rather astringent Chardonnay in its complexity.
For whatever reason, this wine was unlike most other Italian whites in character. It was absolutely beautiful and I shall be exploring this grape further.
It was a bottle of Malvira Roero Arneis 2016 (Waitrose, £10.99, 13.5%) for me this week. The appearance was pale to medium gold and the nose quite sweet and surprisingly bold. I sniffed grapefruit, green apple, honeysuckle and pear. It opened out into some sweet compote and pineapple scents. I was hoping for herbs and almonds but couldn’t ultimately detect them.
The palate was very sharp and quite light bodied given the ABV. It really was very dry – a bit too acidic for my liking, just tasting like lemon juice at first. I hoped air would round out more flavours but it had limited impact. The main flavours were lemon zest and sour apples. I want to say pears, but they really weren’t that evident. There was some phenolic bitterness in the finish, but limited other flavours.
I wander if I got a bad bottle as the austere taste was well below expectation. To my mind it was off-balance with the acid drowning out other flavours leaving quite a simple profile of taste. The bottle promised a buttery texture, melon and almonds, none of which I could taste. It was a shame as I’ve generally liked other Arneis wines I’ve tried.