Telling Venissa means taking a dive into native Venice, its history and its traditions. Because this wine is not just an exercise to recover a local grape variety or play with a style but a product of extreme depth that expresses everything that revolves around it.
berta battiloro
Even the dress tells where it comes from: Murano glass and the gold label produced by the last goldbeater who works by hand in Venezia. Two artisans, Berta Battiloro and the Albertini Spezzamonte furnace, who collaborate with passion for the creation of a beautiful and elegant bottle. Every year the label, the gold leaf, changes slightly and is combined with a different title – see cover’s photo (here).
alberto spezzamonte furnace
This “white like a red” – as per the claim – is made from Dorona, indigenous to the island, which risked extinction due to obvious difficulties such as acqua alta (high water). Obtaining a classy wine from a little-known grape that offers, therefore, few opportunities for comparison among producers is impressive especially due to the hostile terroir: think of salt and winds.
torcello vines
The project is by Bisol who finds three plants in Torcello in 2001, replants in 2006 by mass selection but the first analyses results negative. Despite this, they go on as the wines had been done in the past, until we get to the first official vintage, 2010, which arrives on the market in 2015. Today, Bisol’s son adds a sustainable footprint, also on a social level. The name of the variety comes from the golden color and is a cross between Garganega and Bermestia, it is resistant to mold as imaginable due to the context and the ungrafted rows seem to work better than the rootstock. They managed to move the harvest from the end of August to September 15/20 without losing balance thanks to the natural acidity.
submerged vines
“Venusa” can be red or white, the white is made from the same grape variety with the same vinification but lower concentration depending on the selection in the vineyard. Both do maceration (5/7 days VS 25/30 for Venissa) then glass-lined concrete (2 years against the 4 years of Venissa).
venissa wine resort
VENUSA 2021 has a good intensity on the nose with notes of ripe stine fruit, golden apple peel, humus, walnut husk and a full, slightly dry, compact and balanced palate.
VENISSA 2019, theme “Integrity”. Intense and layered nose of quince jelly, ash, fermented apple, roots and camphor; on the palate it is dry, chewy, it imprints itself on the palate to stay. Its character is in the structure.
VENISSA 2016 “Simbiosi”. Welcoming bouquet with notes of candy floss, exotic fruit, dried broom and then herbs; on the palate it is more savoury but lively.
VENISSA 2014 “Resilienza”. With an oxidative character that passes through the notes of dried fruit, roasting and Marsala with a balsamic touch. Consistent on the palate, more austere.
VENISSA 2011 “Oriente”. Intriguing nose, unique thanks to the aromas of almond milk, turmeric, honey, yuzu and candied mandarin; infinite and penetrating nose thanks to the mix of spices that combines with incense, caramel and dried apricot. It also surprising on the palate: still very young, lively with a savoury finish and aftertaste of mint tea.
I warmly suggest to discover more about the wine resort, including the fabulous starred restaurant, as a whole.
