Massimo's Hometown Wine Selection
RED WINE
ROSSESE DI DOLCE ACQUA “F.LLI MACCARIO 1922” 2022
IT HAS GOT AN INTENSE AND COMPLEX SMELL (BALSAMIC WITH NOTES OF THYME, ROSEMARY, HELICHRYSUM, PINE, FLORAL WITH HINTS OF ROSE, DRIED ROSE, MAQUIS, FRUITY WITH HINTS OF STRAWBERRY, CURRANT, CHERRY / MARASCA, HERBACEOUS WITH MUSKY NOTES, GENTLY SPICY WITH HINTS OF PEPPER; MINERAL), REFINED SOFT, WARM OR QUITE WARM, DRY, WITH EVIDENT SAPIDITY, NOT VERY TANNIC, GOOD ACIDITY THAT ALLOWS A DISCRETE AGING OVER TIME, BALANCED, FULL-BODIED, PERSISTENT, REFINED, RIPE, HARMONIOUS.
ROSE WINE
CILIEGIOLO PORTOFINO “BISSON” 2022
IS A TRADITIONAL RED GRAPE VARIETY THAT IS RARELY SEEN. PIERO LUGANO VINIFIES IT TO SHOWCASE ITS LIGHT AND FRUITY CHARACTER. WHEN PRESENTING IT, WE GROUP THIS WINE WITH OUR CLASSIC SERIES OF ROSÉS AS IT IS RELEASED IN THE SPRING FOLLOWING THE PRIOR YEAR’S HARVEST. LUGANO PROUDLY MAINTAINS THIS VARIETY IN BOTH THE TRIGOSO AND CAMPEGLI VINEYARDS SITUATED IN THE HILLS ABOVE SESTRI LEVANTE AND CHIAVARI, RESPECTIVELY. IT IS VINIFIED DRY, TASTES OF RED CHERRY AND WILD BERRIES AND ITS BRILLIANT CHERRY COLOR IS A PARTICULAR JOY TO BEHOLD.
WHITE WINE
VERMENTINO VIGNAERTA PORTOFINO BIANCO “BISSON” 2023
A MORE ELEGANT EXPRESSION OF VERMENTINO, LEANER THAN THE INTRIGOSO” BUT WITH GREAT COMPLEXITY, SHOWING BRIGHT ACIDITY, BRILLIANT LENGTH AND STRONG MINERALITY LEAVENED BY NOTES OF CITRUS, ALMOND, AND LICORICE; THE GRAPES FOR THIS CUVÉE ARE SOURCED FROM THE SLOPES OF THE CAMPEGLI VINEYARD LOCATED IN THE VILLAGE OF CASTIGLIONE CHIAVARESE
BIANCHETTA GENOVESE U PASTINE PORTOFINO BIANCO “BISSON” 2022
THE TERM U PASTINE IS FROM THE LOCAL DIALECT INDICATING A VERY SPECIAL PRODUCT, APPROPRIATE FOR THIS RARE WHITE GRAPE FOUND ONLY IN LIGURIA. LUGANO HAS SAVED SEVERAL PARCELS FROM EXTINCTION AND FROM WHICH HE CREATES A TRULY UNIQUE WHITE WINE THAT IS DELICATE, LIVELY AND SATISFYING, FILLED WITH VIBRANT MINERALITY; IT IS PARTICULARLY DELIGHTFUL WHEN MARRIED TO THE WHITE-FLESHED FISH THAT FREQUENT THE SHORES OF THIS PART OF LIGURIA …THE BIANCHETTI, THE NASELLO AND TINY, EXQUISITELY FLAVORED LANGOSTINO.
PIGATO COLLINE DEL GENOVESATO BIANCO“BISSON” 2022
QUITE LIMITED IN PRODUCTION AS IT IS DIFFICULT TO PRODUCE AND EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND THE “TRUE” VARIETY. A WINE OF FINESSE WITHOUT THE BODY OF THE PRECEDING WHITES BUT WITH UNIQUE AND INTRIGUING FLAVORS THAT PAIR EXCEEDINGLY WELL WITH THE FISH MARRIED TO HERBS THAT IS TRADITIONAL IN LUGURIAN CUISINE. THERE ARE TWO VINEYARD PLOTS: THE “TENUTE DI TRIGOSO” IN THE HILLS OF SESTRI LEVANTE AND “VERICI” SITUATED IN THE COMMUNE OF CASARZA LIGURE. THE WINE IS BOTTLED IN THE SPRING FOLLOWING THE HARVEST AND RARELY GETS A CHANCE TO SHOW ITS AGING ABILITY SINCE THE PRECIOUS LITTLE QUANTITY THAT IS PRODUCED IS CONSUMED WITHIN THE YEAR!
MAREA CINQUE TERRE“BISSON” 2022
MADE FROM A BLEND OF SEVERAL TRADITIONAL LOCAL GRAPE VARIETIES: BOSCO (60% OF THE BLEND), VERMENTINO (20%) AND ALBAROLA (20%). THE VINEYARDS THAT PRODUCE THIS WINE ARE SITUATED ON SOUTH-FACING SLOPES IN THE HAMLET OF VOLASTRA IN THE TOWN OF RIOMAGGIORE, THE HEART OF THE BREATHTAKING CINQUE TERRE REGION. IN THIS INSTANCE, LUGANO OPTS TO LEAVE THIS CUVÉE ON THE LEES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, RESPECTING THE OLD TRADITIONS OF THE REGION. THE RESULT IS A FULL-BODIED, EARTHY WINE OF IMMENSE CHARACTER, ALMOST BRINY, WITH A DEEPER GOLDEN TINT TO ITS COLOR THAN IS FOUND IN HIS OTHER WHITES AND MARKED BY THE AROMAS OF HEATHER, BROOM AND JUNIPER.