Tenuta Mazzolino Camara Chardonnay 2024

Tenuta Mazzolino Camara Chardonnay

Region: Lombardia, Italy

Vintage: 2024

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Chardonnay

ABV: 12.5%

The wine is light straw yellow in colour. On the nose, it shows aromas of acacia flowers, ripe white citrus, and peach, with a subtle grassy undertone. The palate reveals flavours of canary melon and white peach, evolving into lemongrass and green almonds. This pure Chardonnay showcases lovely length and a crisp, clean finish.

The Chardonnay grapes come from 4 hectare vineyard on east-facing slopes at 180-220 meters altitude. The soil is a blend of limestone marl and chalky substrate. Planted in 1999, the vineyard uses Guyot pruning, with 5,500 plants per hectare. The first vintage of Camará was produced in 1984.

Fermentation took place in stainless steel vats. Some of the Musqué clone was macerated for 24 hours on skins to lend an aromatic intensity unusual in Chardonnay. After fermentation, the wine was aged in stainless steel vats, preserving its fresh and vibrant character while allowing the flavours to harmonize.

This fine estate is making some of the best – and most exciting – wines in the Oltrepò Pavese. The house and winery are perched atop a rounded hill, and the vineyards flow down the hill in every direction. The site, known locally as the ‘hill of Pinot Nero’, was abandoned when Francesca Seralvo’s grandfather arrived from France in the 1970s for work. He was a banker in Milan and bought the house as a weekend retreat. He soon caught the wine bug and invited the likes of Luigi Veronelli and Giacomo Bologna to visit. They became great friends and urged him to make wines with the Pinot Nero. His first attempt was a bianco frizzante, but in 1985 he decided to get serious and made his first Pinot Nero, on which Veronelli lavished praise. If Pinot Nero worked, he reasoned, why not try Chardonnay?