Bocelli Pinot Grigio 2015 Delle Venezie, Italy 75cl

The Bocelli family has farmed at Lajatico in Tuscany for close to three centuries, and the estate carries the name of its most famous son, the opera singer Andrea Bocelli. It remains a genuine family concern rather than a badge on a label. For their Pinot Grigio the family looked north, teaming up with winemaker Salvatore Lovo in the Veneto where the grape is thoroughly at home.

This is pure Pinot Grigio from the delle Venezie DOC, the broad northeastern zone that supplies much of Italy’s best-loved Pinot Grigio. It is made in the fresh, unoaked style the region is known for, picking the fruit for crunch and acidity rather than weight, and bottling it young to catch the aromatics. The aim is a wine that is easy to like and easy to pour.

2015 was a warm, generous vintage across northern Italy, giving ripe fruit while the region’s cooler nights held on to the freshness that defines the style.

In the glass it is pale and bright, with a clean nose of green apple, fresh lemon and a touch of white flowers. The palate is light-bodied, dry and crisp, with citrus fruit and a clean, refreshing finish. Serve it well chilled; there is nothing to be gained from cellaring it, so pour and enjoy.

This is an easy, sociable white, ideal as an aperitif or with lighter dishes such as grilled fish, seafood pasta or a summer salad. A chilled glass on the terrace is exactly its natural home. If you tend to reach for approachable, unoaked whites, this is a familiar and reliable choice with a well-known name behind it.