Manti 2010, the wine you don't expect

The Manti 2010 is a white wine from Lazio made from Chardonnay grapes, produced at Tenuta Ronci di Nepi, a truly under-the-radar wine. I hadn't known about it until last week when I opened the bottle I'd been keeping in my cellar. And since I was genuinely struck by its character, I'm now telling you all about it.

Tenuta Ronci di Nepi is located in southern Tuscia, bordering the natural reserve of the Valle del Treja park. The estate began its operations about thirty years ago with a couple of hectares of vineyard: today the planted hectares exceed twenty, in a slow but steady growth.

The area is predominantly hilly, with a climate that encourages temperature swings, both between seasons and between night and day. Generally, temperatures tend to be cold in winter and warm in summer. The Manti is produced from grapes grown at around 400 metres above sea level with an excellent south-east exposure.
The soil is of volcanic origin, with a high content of clay and tufa. We are talking about a type of terrain particularly well-suited to grape growing. The vine training system is Cordone Speronato, with a planting density of 4,000 vines per hectare. The yield per hectare is particularly low, not exceeding 60 quintals.

Harvest normally takes place at the end of September. The grapes destined for the Manti remain on the vine a couple of weeks longer, resulting in slight overripeness at harvest time. The grapes are hand-harvested and carefully transported to the cellar, where soft pressing is carried out to obtain the free-run must. The must is then refrigerated to encourage the settling of lees, and after approximately 24 hours it is filtered.

Fermentation takes place at around 15°C, partly in new barriques. After racking, the wine rests in new barriques for approximately 7–8 months before being bottled. Further refinement then takes place in the bottle.
But let us now move on to the tasting notes.

The wine presents itself with a vivid golden-green colour, crystalline and wonderful in appearance. Even from the colour alone we can tell that the wine is still going through a young phase of its life. The wine is consistent, forming thick tears in the glass when gently swirled. Intense and complex on the nose, with floral hints of acacia and honey, aromatic herbs, ripe and exotic fruit. On the palate the wine is well-structured, warm at 13.5% and soft. Yet a vibrant fresh-savoury component means it has not yet reached perfect balance, despite its four and a half years of age. But this freshness, so clearly perceptible, will guarantee the wine a long road still ahead.

I would love to have another bottle to taste again in no less than five years. Very persistent, the finish is elegant and mineral with returns of citrus and toasted dried fruit.
A versatile wine, easily paired with a variety of dishes. Personally, I enjoyed the Manti with pesce spada al forno con patate. But it can also be tried alongside white meat dishes or vegetable preparations.

I love being surprised, and in this case I admit that I was. A Chardonnay wine that is anything but ordinary, and far from the homogenised taste of so many Chardonnays on the market. A white wine from Lazio that helps dispel the false myth of the region's mediocre wines.