The Discover Club - May 2020

This month, for Just A Taste’s Discover Club, we explore unknown varietals from Napa Valley with Dan Petroski’s “Annia” from Massican.


Just A Taste - Wine Club - Wine Bar

MASSICAN “ANNIA” 2019

Producer: Massican Winery

Winemaker: Dan Petroski

Region: USA, California, Napa Valley

Grape Varietal: 53% Tocai Friulano, 39% Ribolla Gialla, 8% Chardonnay

Viticulture: multiple sites across Napa VAlley

Method: combination of stainless steel and French Oak

Serving Suggestions: serve 45-50F

Age: drink 2020-2022

Nose: lemon rind, white flower, stone fruits

Palate: ripe fruit with hints of minerality and salinity

Finish: aromatic, round and long-lasting


About Massican

Named after the coastal Monte Massico mountain range in Southern Italy, Massican was established to honor its founders’ roots. Unique Italian varietals Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Greco, and Pinot Bianco are blended together with the better-known Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to produce 4 exquisite, Mediterranean-styled white wines. Massican’s flagship wine, “Annia,” is a blend of Tocai, Ribolla, and Chardonnay.

Our flagship white wine blend sourced from small vineyards around the Napa Valley. The three grape varietals, Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Chardonnay, are harvested separately, and fermented independently in French Oak and stainless steel tanks until blending six weeks before bottling. The Tocai and Ribolla build the aroma and flavor profile of the wine, while the Chardonnay adds to the wine’s structure. The wine is fresh and subtle and fulfills the promise set forth years ago to bottle memorable white wines, unique amongst the whites of California.
— Massican website

Why I am Excited about this Wine

You can find incredible, rich, weighty Chardonnay and Sauvignon from all over Napa, which are exquisite but counter-intuitive. Napa has a Mediterranean climate, so why don’t we see more wine styles reflective of that region? Dan Petroski had the similar notion and sourced some incredible old-vine Italian varietals from obscure vineyards across all of Napa. This soft, floral wine clearly expresses a Northern-Italian flair with the fruit and ripeness of Napa Valley. Plus, it’s downright delicious.

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