This is a stunningly understated oxymoron from northern Italy, made from the local Turbiana grape. It simply oozes class, which is a hard word to define, but you know it when you see it and vice versa, like the difference between Celine and Gucci. It’s similar to a Pinot Blanc, in the sense that the flavours are soft-bellied, more from the yellowy-orange end of the fruit spectrum than the green, but there’s a touch more acidity than an Alsace Pinot Blanc, for example, so it has energy. You could call it an Italian Chablis if you really needed to hang it on a peg. Enjoy its notes of yellow melon, crystallised grapefruit, angelica and warm hay with freshwater fish, such as trout or perch. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2028.

Press review:

Decanter (previous vintage): “The Montonale estate lies on the western edge of the DOC zone, where the soils and mesoclimate of the first line of morainic hills give wines which add notes of white fruit to the typical minerally profile of Lugana. Owner-winemaker Roberto Girelli uses indigenous yeasts for all his wines and ages this excellent Montunal selection exclusively in vats. The nose has subtle herbs and the beautifully balanced palate is compact and intense, with a keynote flinty finish.” 96 points