The Italy Wine Project

Regions / Emilia-Romagna

DOCGStill huntingModerate

Romagna Albana DOCG

Albana is a thick-skinned, tannic white grape that ripens golden on the Romagna hills and has been documented there for a thousand years. The dry version is deep gold, with apricot, chamomile, orange peel, a waxy texture and a grip on the finish that reads almost like a light red; the best producers now make skin-contact and long-lees versions that age well. The passito is honeyed and apricot-driven with enough acidity to stay lively. This was Italy's first white DOCG (1987), and today the dry wines are where the excitement is.

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Bottles I'm chasing

ProducerWinePriceBuy
Tre Monti
Romagna Albana Secco Vitalba
Amphora-raised, skin-fermented Albana; dried apricot, orange peel, tannic grip, imported by Polaner.
$25 to $32Wine-Searcher
Fattoria Zerbina
Romagna Albana Passito Scacco Matto
The benchmark botrytized Albana; saffron, dried apricot, honey, and a long acid-driven finish.
$60 to $80Wine-Searcher
Ancarani
Romagna Albana Secco Santa Lusa
Natural-leaning estate near Faenza; golden, saline, yellow plum and almond with firm phenolic texture.
$22 to $28Wine-Searcher