Fontana Candida Frascati “Luna Mater” 2009 | Lazio, Italy
This is one of those wines for that rare person who enjoys drinking wine with food, and/or considers wine as food.
OK, I’m being a little facetious / condescending. The truth is, like most Italian wines, this is food — at least, as far as I’m concerned.
Don’t — under ANY circumstances — attempt to drink this all by itself. Oh, it’s lovely on its own, but it’s not what it’s made for. This is Frascati, the wine of Rome, and it’s not a loner. Acidity is good, but not overly abundant as, say, a Pinot Grigio might be. There is no oak, so don’t expect over-the-top vanilla, toasty flavors that completely overwhelm the fruit. Ah, the fruit — when will I get to that? How about now? It’s ripe, but maybe a teeny bit overripe, in a good way. The main flavor is pear — pear that is getting slightly overripe, a little extra brown. That same overripe pear is on the nose, with a hint of overripe banana. In the mouth it’s perfectly balanced, with the twang of acidity coming at the end, turning the overripe pear into fresh pear.
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Disclosure: I work for the importer of this wine, and tasted it for free.