Azienda Agricola Cortese 'Nostru' Orange-Utan 2024

Irresistibly fun. I am usually suspicious of orange wines like these that look like an expensive creative agency built an off-the-wall brand and then put some industrially made plonk in the bottle to appeal to a certain cohort of customers. In Wandsworth. Probably.

But this wine is not that. This is organically farmed, local Inzolia and Zibibbo grapes with loads of character and charm. A zesty, delicious drop with flavours of tangerine peel, dried apricots, wild herbs and a hint of warming spice. The palate is bright and refreshing with hints of tangy citrus, mint and a very subtle tannic grip. Personally I enjoyed this with garlic bread in my pants. But you may enjoy it with M&S picky bits in the garden...

Cortese produce wine in the most traditional and natural way to reflect the true character of the estate’s terroir and its grape varieties. Taking tradition as their inspiration, they employ ancient wine-making techniques such as fermentation in terracotta. The resulting wines reflect the combination of modern technology and traditional techniques, with every nuance of the terroir showing through.