27/05/2025
Available now exclusively from new skanu and our good friends at Le Travi.
On a rainy September day last year we visited Nino and Erica Perrino of Testalonga in Dolceacqua, Liguria. Guided by local and good friend of new skanu, Mattia of Le Travi and his old friend Miki (who helps Erica and Nino at harvest time and is owner of local wine bar Eco in Albenga - visit if you can!) as they were cleaning their 7 old 500L oak barrels ready for the harvest to come. The cellar is tiny and humble and bears the hallmarks of its many years of use.
The cellar is in the historic centre of Dolceaqua with the vines and olive groves covering the hillsides around the village which lay about 8km inland from the Mediterranean coast. We were really lucky that day (as we feel every time we visit such winemakers) as the rainy day, the mist on the hills, the wet old stone walls and streets of the village, a hint of freshness from the sea. The river rushes through with purpose to a coast resplendent in Italian riviera glitz that is in stark contrast and that seemingly by-passes this village and the cellar and wines of Testalonga. Yet all of this and more is expressed in the wines. At once warm, cozy yet also bright and uplifting. Full of life, yet humble, honest and without pretention. They make one white, one red. Made from the same vines, in the exact same way for 60+ years (we enjoyed a bottle of Ninos 60th anniversary vintage in the cellar). With a total production of only ~4500 bottles, of which we have a very small number to share with Lithuania. Dolceacqua is renowned for their red Rossese di Dolceacqua wine (often just known as Dolceacqua) and is the slightly larger share of Testalonga’s modest production alongside their Bianco made with Vermentino.
These are the sort of wines that we are excited to share yet reluctant to let go, so! Grab them while you still can, this is a rare chance (before we drink them all ourselves!).
