Vinea Marson Friulano #7 2017

Winemakers in the Friuli region of north-east Italy have been making skin contact wines well before it was cool (you could argue they made it cool). This wine pays homage to the Marson’s roots in the same region. It’s a skin contact style made with world class precision.

Wow, crazy sexy colour; like the flesh of an almost-too-ripe but juice-drippingly perfect summer peach. Time on skins lends a waxy, sultry savouriness to aromas of grapefruit, dehydrated pineapple crisps and earthy saffron. It’s very dry with a mouth-puckering phenolic (white tannin) grip countered by mouth-watering acidity. It’s all about a chalk-dust texture initially but then a wave of football oranges (flesh, pith and zest intermingling) progresses into those bursting peaches before settling into mango fruit leather.

This is an exciting wine that challenges perceptions and regularly invites you back for another sip to try to understand it. Maybe don’t try. The Marson’s recommend pairing it with Frico, a traditional dish that is essentially a crispy cheesy potato and onion pancake; I’m not going to argue with that.