Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo

In the glass

Aroma: dried fig, tamarind, walnut, candied orange peel

Palate: dried cherry, honey, burnt caramel, rancio

Cult Vin Santo from raisined Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile), 10+ years in caratelli; one of Italy's most fabled sweet wines.

What it pairs with

• Aged hard cheese with dried fig
  Sweet-savoury contrast with the wine's rancio.
• Cantucci di Prato Find cantucci di prato on TableJourney →
  The canonical Vin Santo pairing: dip the almond biscotti.
• Dark chocolate with sea salt
  Salt-and-cocoa contrast for the wine's caramel depth.

History

Avignonesi's Occhio di Pernice is a Vin Santo made from Prugnolo Gentile (rather than the usual Trebbiano-Malvasia base), raisined and aged 10+ years in caratelli. First labelled vintage 1979 and considered the genre's benchmark.

1. 1979 — First labelled Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice

Facts

Producer

Avignonesi

Grapes

Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) (100%)

Classification

Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC Occhio di Pernice

Oak

10+ years in small chestnut and oak caratelli

ABV

15.5%

Price

EUR 250 to 500 per 375ml at retail

Drinking window

10 to 30 from vintage

First vintage

1979

Scores

• Vinous 96 (2008 vintage, reviewed 2017)

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