We ventured into the 2nd edition of Vivit, a special area of Vinitaly dedicated exclusively to organic, biodynamic & natural wines, with the same trepidation as we did last year where we discovered some pretty amazing wines. Vivit is an effort by the larger Vinitaly exhibition to promote an alternative trend of winemaking & support the development & marketing of this types of wines. Over 120 producers were on display and I was amazed by the popularity of this pavilion. In fact, it was a little bit chaotic with a huge line up for getting in it. Testament to the incredible attention that these wines are getting nowadays. It is normal I suppose that people would be interested to find out what they were all about.

We discovered some amazing & eye opening wines. The wines of Cos from Sicilia were among them, and so were the own wines of Giulio Armani, the winemaker of La Stoppa, a producer from whom I especially love the passito, Vigna del Volta.

Armani's wines though are a different thing altogether. White wines (malvasia, marsanne, ortrugo, & another, unamed grape) made with long skin maceration much like red wines (here, for more than 90 days). They are complicated to pigeonhole at first. I suppose they are "orange" wines as many like to describe this type of wine.

Here, the color is deep amber with a onion skin hue. The aromas particular. Fresh, yet with notes of stewed & bruised apples, nuts, musk, dried citrus peel, and spices. A touch of leather. Very particular. Very fast glass evolution. Certainly engaging. The texture is what sets this wine apart the most. Smooth, yet it has a kind of "waxiness" from the tannin. Chewy but fresh at the same time. Leathery, yet silky. Caressing in a velvety sort of way. Unusual for a white. The finish is long & spicy. Mouthwatering. Fascinating wine, but acquired taste & an experience in itself....