TN: 2001 Sterling Malvasin Bianca

[tjaehnigen]

This was an extra white that a friend brought to a small dinner party about a week ago. Without a course to pair this with, we all had a glass between the appetizer and the main course. My friend explained that Malvasia is a blending varietal of Madieras (?? I have no idea this is true or not). Anyay, he'd lugged this back from his last trip to CA and we got to partake of it.

This was different than almost any other white I have had. Since it was a first experience for me of this kind of wine, I am not sure I can really rate it well. But it had this really wild tangerine-like quality to it mixed with sort of a dense texture that reminded me almost of a dessert wine, but it was much lighter that that on the finish -- not overpowering at all. Still, I am not sure what to make of this, and I think I'd rate it an 88 or so (optimistically). A delicious wine that I am just not sure how to properly judge....

[carswell]

My friend explained that Malvasia is a blending varietal of Madieras (?? I have no idea this is true or not).

Your friend is more or less right. In the days before phylloxera, malvasia was the traditional variety used to make Malmsey (which name is an English corruption of the grape's name), and it has been making a comeback there and elsewere in recent years. There's some excellent dry white malvasia coming out of Friuli these days. Here in North America, Bonny Doon regularly turns out a fun, nearly dry malvasia bianca.

The bouquet is remarkable; your tangerine descriptor is right on the mark. I usually serve the wine as an aperitif by itself or with hors d'oeuvres or sometimes with simply prepared seafood, especially mussels. Other food pairings are not always obvious. Some friends and I once chose a Bonny Doon malvasia to accompany a first course of asparagus thinking that, like Alsatian dry muscat, its floral/orangey qualities would make for a decent match. Wrong. The surprise was that the wine was superb with the following dish, a savoury "salad" whose main ingredient was perfectly ripe cantaloup.

[tjaehnigen]

I could definitely see this going with mussels.

And, asparagus is probably one of the hardest foods to match from a wine perspective....Oy.