La Stoppa Ageno 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 8 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service.

Founded about over a century ago by the lawyer Ageno, La Stoppa is a winery in Emilia-Romagna that has been owned by the Pantaleoni family since the 1970s. The estate spans approximately 330 hectares of vineyards, which are farmed organically and planted with both indigenous and international grape varieties.

Ageno is an orange wine crafted from Malvasia di Candia grapes, sourced from approximately 20-year-old organically farmed vines planted in soils composed of silt and clay. Following the harvest, the grapes undergo a long maceration on their skins in a combination of concrete and steel vats; fermentation occurs spontaneously, driven by indigenous yeasts. The finished wine is then aged in wooden vessels before being bottled unfiltered. The result is an intense, expressive wine defined by extraordinary aromatic richness.

In the glass, the wine reveals a brilliant color with amber hues. On the nose, it displays great complexity, with initial notes of ripe yellow fruit and citrus zest, tea leaves, and medicinal herbs, accompanied by balsamic and spicy touches. On the palate, it is broad and structured, concentrated and dense, with a solid tannic backbone and a long, rich, savory finish. Try it with spiced lentil soups, pumpkin and mushroom risotto, or, more generally, with Middle Eastern vegetarian cuisine.