JANUS 2013 – Marco Merli

Marco is a naturalista in Umbria,  just outside of Perugia, in a town called the House of the Devil (Casa del Diavolo). He has taken over various high-altitude vineyards around him that have a mix of native grapes such as Grechetto, Malvasia, Verdicchio, Moscato, Trebbiano, and Sangiovese. His cellar is filled with re-conditioned small cement tanks – the kinds that farmers would use for home production – except Marco has dozens of them, so he can follow each parcel per tank up to bottling. The wines are a bit of eco-chic rustic, with punchy acidity and just a touch of fruit. A great addition to the portfolio from a region in which it’s not easy to find something that really shines.