Made from a naturally occurring, darker-skinned sub-clone of the notoriously variable, pink-skinned Moschofilero variety, the Aspela sits in the hazy territory between a light red and a darker orange wine.
After extended skin contact and spontaneous fermentation, the eye shows pale ruby with coppery glints, the nose moves past the usual rose-and-Turkish-delight register into apricot liqueur, candied citrus peel and kumquat, laced with faint earthy/mushroomy notes.
On the palate it turns austere and serious, with firm phenolic grip, high acidity, a pronounced mineral pulse, and a curious pull between its white and red instincts.
The finish is long and distinctly tannic for a light red, full of spice and citric reverberations, with final hints of flint and chalk.
A juicy choice for the wild at heart.
