Venica & Venica Malvasia 2010

Pleasant enough, but caught in no man's land. Venica's 2010 Malvasia shows recognizable varietal character, floral lift, stone fruit, a touch of bitter almond, yet the winemaking never commits to a direction. Malvasia demands a choice: let the aromatic wildness run free or discipline it into something precise and structured. This sits awkwardly between the two, neither expressive nor restrained, and the result is a wine that ticks boxes without making a real impression.