Grower: Mae Son Vino by Matteo Furlani and Claudio Coronato
Region: Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Grape Varieties: Müller-Thurgau
Viticulture: Organic
Category: Skin-Contact, Orange
Size: 750ml
In 2022, third-generation winemaker Matteo Furlani began a new project in addition to his label Cantina Furlani: after years of selling grapes from a 6 hectare plot, he began searching for a way to bottle them for his own wines for the first time — and now is launching a new label, Mae Son, in collaboration with export manager Claudio Coronato and Jenny and Francois Selections. The label is a tribute to the importance of family and family work, as well as the careful craftsmanship of their wines. The name is a playful nod to the beginning of each family member’s name: M for Matteo, A for his wife, Annalisa, and their daughter, Alessia, and E for their son Edoardo. The pronunciation further sheds light on the intimate story behind the label: in English, it’s pronounced “my son,” while in French, it can be read as “maison,” meaning “my home.”
Matteo works predominantly with local grapes, ranging from Pavana and Negrara to more well-known varietals such as Muller Thurgau and Pinot Noir. All grapes are hand-harvested, as necessitated by the steep slopes of the limestone and clay vineyards that dot the small village of Povo, which can reach up to 720 meters. Fermentation is entirely natural with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control, and wines are aged in stainless steel tanks or 20-year-old barrels.
Vineyard: Calcareous soil with clay and porphyry content, medium textured, located 300-720m above sea level — the grapes benefit from fresh Northern winds and the famous Ora del Garda winds
Making of: The grapes are hand-harvested at the start of September, then destemmed by hand. They undergo a long period of skin contact for 20-25 days, after which they are left to spontaneously ferment in open-top steel vats. The wine then ages in stainless steel until April. Unfined, unfiltered, no added SO2.
Personality: a dreamy aperitivo wine to share with friends! Amber-tinged with golden hues. The aromatic bouquet is bursting with fresh apples and citrus notes of lime and grapefruit, with decisive minerality running through it. Pairs perfectly with all sorts of summery dishes, from vegetable-focused small plates to fresh fish
