SOUTHERN ITALY, etc.

As prosperity trickles down Italy, the vast "south" is experiencing the same sort of revolution experienced by the north.  The north simply has had a head start by about a decade or so. 

Prices of wines produced in the famous northern regions have escalated.  People arrive in the shop saying they are "looking for a good $20 Barolo."  My response is "Me too!"

This is why a look at new and emerging quality wines is worth the "trouble."

Some of the grape varieties cultivated in the south offer characteristics which are different from those in Northern Italia (or anywhere else, for that matter).

  
SOME SUNNY WINES  FROM ITALY

CONTESA

Winemaker Rocco Pasetti started his own winery after splitting from his brother's winery (the one posted below).

The story, I gather, is not quite as juicy as the quarrels of the Mondavi's in Napa or Sebastiani's in Sonoma, but Rocco now has his own little enterprise and he's making some very good wines.  

In fact, the name "Contesa" stems from some sort of legal entanglement.  It seems his grandfather, decades ago, had an issue with a neighbor over a troublesome tree (the roots were problematic for the vineyards) and a pig.  Well,  Rocco had an issue with his brother back in the late 1990s.  I asked him if he owned the "tree" or the "pig."   He declined to fall into this trap.

The first vintage was 1998 and they have about 25 hectares of vineyards, including four clones of Montepulciano, one being an heirloom variety which provides, they explain, more structure as it's a bit "aggressive" in character.

I've had several opportunities to taste through the range of wines and can see this fellow is our kind of winemaker...he's serious about quality and wants to improve with each and every vintage.  

The winery is in the final phases of construction and it's an immaculate cellar and it's located about 30-something kilometers west of the Adriatic town of Francavilla al Mare.  It's out on the coast that Rocco has a small enoteca and "filling station."

Customers can bring an empty jug or demi-john and fill it up with Contesa's
everyday red, white or rosato.

If you're on a budget, we have Pasetti's "bulk wine" (the Italians call it "Vino Sfuso") in regular-sized, 750ml bottles.
It's the same wine that feller in the photo above is pumping into his "Mio Vino" gallon jug.
They're sale priced at $6.99.

Meanwhile, the winery is about 35 kilometers inland and is surrounded by vineyards.

A view from the road, looking back to the winery and its hillside vineyards.

 

We have a number of good wines from Signor Rocco. 

There's an interesting white grape in Abruzzo which will remind some experienced tasters of good, flinty French Chablis.  It's made of the grape called Pecorino.  The grape takes its name from "sheep" which are called "pecora" (pecore is the plural).  Apparently shepherds would herd their flock through pastures and vineyards and this particular, early-ripening white grape was a favorite of the sheep.  As a result, it was known as "uva delle pecore" or "grape of the sheep."

The Pecorino grape was near extinction and some growers in the Marche region worked to revive it.  Now it's spread to neighboring Abruzzo and we've found good wines coming from Montepulciano producers.

Our favorite is Signor Pasetti's, as the wine retains crisp acidity and it has some of the minerality one might associate with French Chablis wines.  

Pasetti makes good reds, as well.  His version of his brother's "Testarossa" wine is called Nerone and it's a dark, inky, deep Montepulciano.  It's a really satisfying wine on the dinner table and perfect for braised meats, roasts or grilled meats.  

The "basic" or regular bottling of Montepulciano is very good...a big, deep red with a whiff of oak and it's beautifully balanced in terms of tannin.  If you find Chianti too light and/or too acidic, you probably ought to give this a try.

The basic, everyday red from the Pasetti family is the wine people buy "in bulk" at their wine shop out on the coast of Abruzzo.  It's good, dark, deep, simple red...perfect for "Spaghetti & Meatballs" or a backyard barbecue of sausages...Vino Sfuso...

 

 

 

Currently in stock:  2007 CONTESA Pecorino $17.99
2004 CONTESA "Nerone"  Montepulciano d'Abruzzo  $21.99
2005 CONTESA Montepulciano d'Abruzzo $16.99
VINO SFUSO  SALE PRICED $6.99

MY VISIT TO CONTESA in APRIL 2009

Rocco and his daughter Perla and son Franco.

Olives and vineyards in Collecorvino...

 

PASETTI (Tenuta di Testarossa)

The Abruzzo region catches the warm sun and has the possibility to produce some exceptional red wines.  The Pasetti family has been growing grapes (amongst other crops) for several generations and their "Testarossa" Montepulciano, essentially a 'reserve' quality wine, recently caught our attention.  

Fittingly, young Francesca Pasetti is a red-head!  But the "Testa Rossa" name has been associated with the Pasetti's for years, since the typical hat of the region worn by the old-timers was a red cap called "cocciarosce."  The family, however, does have a bunch of red heads!

Their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo comes from older vineyards which feature densely planted vines.  They try to pick the fruit late in the harvest season.  Part of the lot is fermented in stainless steel, part in wood.  The wine is matured for about two years in oak.  We like the ripe cherry fruit notes and the hint of vanilla and mocha from the oak.  You can sense there's oak here, but the wine is not woody or oaky tasting.  It's reasonably deep and rich.  Drinkable now, this strikingly tall bottle may be cellared for several more years, if you like.

We also have their excellent Pasetti label of Montepulciano.  This comes from the 2005 vintage and it's a dark, deep red.  It doesn't have the wood of the Testarossa bottling, being an intensely fruity version of Montepulciano.

Francesca in the sales room.

"The secret of our Montepulciano is that the best wines are reserved for aging in wood, while lesser wines are sold in bulk to customers who come for a visit."


I found the cellar to be neat and orderly (as it should be).

Large Slavonian oak is used to mature some of the "reserve" wines.

Customers come with empty jugs and demijohns and they "filler 'er up!"
A gas station-like pump and meter measures their purchases.
This wine is a good, everyday red, but their "Testarossa" label is kept in wood and sold in bottles (what a concept, eh?).  Some of those bottles find their way to Burlingame, California where they are popular with Weimax customers.

People haul their wine back home.


Francesca and her folks in the cellar.

Currently in stock: TENUTA DI TESTAROSSA 2004 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo SALE $22.99  
PASETTI 2005 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo $13.99
We can special order their deluxe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo called "Harimann".  The 2002 is $51.99 with a 6 bottle minimum order (list price is $63)...
They also produce a Trebbiano called Zarache...the 2005 is $15.99 per bottle...six bottle minimum.

 

DE CONCILIIS

Located south of Naples and Salerno is this producer in Campania.  The De Conciliis family has about 25 hectares of vineyards, producing a wine of the Aglianico grape which attracted our attention.

This variety has nobility written all over it.  Some people say the grape was introduced to Italy by the Greeks and was known as Vitis Hellenica and later as Ellenico before corrupting to Aglianico.  





The De Conciliis family makes about 40,000 bottles of a wonderfully berryish and mildly spicy (think white pepper) Aglianico called "Donnaluna."  We've heard of the man in the moon, but apparently there's a woman up there, too.  Medium-bodied, this is fairly smooth, so we like it served at cool cellar temp.  It's perfect with grilled pork, but also big enough to stand up to well-seasoned lamb.  The 2007 is currently in stock.  Good wine!  It's a delightful example of Aglianico, as has become the 'norm' over the past five or six years.  It's versatile, pairing with pizza, pastas, sausages, etc.  Good!

Naima is Bruno's top Aglianico.  We had it in a blind-tasting of Aglianico wines from Campania and Basilicata a few years ago and the wine ran away with the tasting...even alongside entries from Mastroberardino and Feudi di San Gregorio. 
Click here to check out the notes on that tasting...

The wine is extraordinary.  Deep and dark, with wonderful wood scents.  Complete on the palate and it demonstrates Aglianico can be a wine of top quality.
The 2004 is the current vintage.  I think it shows less oak than previous vintages...it's a bit more earthy rather than fruity.

 

Bruno offers a rather good example of Fiano under the Donnaluna label...the 2007 is a nice, dry, non-oaky white wine.  It's great with a fritto misto or seafood pasta.

 

Currently in stock:  2007 "Donnaluna" Aglianico $19.99
2004 "NAIMA"  $49.99
2007 "Donnaluna" Fiano  $19.99

 

 

MASCIARELLI

This fellow made some terrific wines in the region of Abruzzo.  His basic bottling of "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo" is routinely one of the best bargains known to those in search of a wine with "soul" that doesn't cost a fortune.

Gianni Masciarelli passed away during the summer of 2008, but his legacy lives on.  We will remember him fondly, as he was a real character and a dedicated winemaker.  His wife, Marina Cvetic, is another dynamic character and she's continuing the grand tradition established by her late husband.

The new bottling of Masciarelli is probably the best we've had, the wine having a particular character that says "Abruzzo."   When you taste this, you'll have trouble believing you paid such a modest sum for this wine.  

Masciarelli has worked diligently to cultivate good fruit.  He uses only his own grapes.  The basic, "little" wine comes from nine vineyard sites at various elevation levels.  They now have densely planted vineyards in an effort to maximize quality. 

He was such a stickler for quality, he actually went to France every year to scope out wood for barrels for his wines.  As I understand it, he went there to actually have a sniff of the various oaks that are available for purchase and then he has the barrels custom-built for his winery!

Gianni Masciarelli's wife,  Marina Cvetic, now runs the company and  her name adorns a very fine bottle of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo of "reserve" quality.


The full name of this wine will be a challenge for most: "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo San Martino Rosso Marina Cvetic."

(Good luck on remembering all of that!)

The wine is made entirely of Montepulciano.  It's fermented in wood and matured in oak.  The current vintage is from the 2004 growing season.    We much prefer it to the wine of the hot vintage of 2003.  This is deep in black fruits and has a whiff of wood.  

The top-of-the-line is a wine called Villa Gemma.  This comes from a rather high elevation vineyard and it's been made for about 20 years now.

This is a stellar wine, getting top ratings from all the critics.  The wine is matured in French oak, a significant percentage of the barrels being new.  The wine displays tons of black fruit aromas and a sweet oak bouquet.  It's delicious, now, in its youth, yet seems to have good aging potential.  Less than 9,000 bottles are produced annually, so it's not a wine one can easily find.

A Page About Abruzzo (and Lunch With Masciarelli)

Currently in stock:  2006 MASCIARELLI MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO (list $9) SALE $7.99
2004 MARINA CVETIC MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO $29.99 
1998 VILLA GEMMA MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO  $74.99

 

VALLE DELL'ACATE

The Sicilian landscape features many interesting wines.  Quality has improved over the past decade and Sicily today produces quite a broad spectrum of wines.

The Jacono family cultivates many parcels of vines in the Ragusa area, having worked diligently to re-plant something like half of the 100 hectares.  I think, at one time, they sold grapes to a local grower's co-op facility.  Today they vinify their best grapes and have become rather well-known in the realm of Sicilian wines.  

The winery produces a number of interesting reds and a few choice white wines.   

Gaetana Jacono is the dynamo behind this property, her father having gotten the ball rolling many years ago.   Her family cultivates Inzolia, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Frappato, Nero D'Avola and some odd variety called "Chardonnay."

We currently have a terrific dry white wine from Valle dell'Acate.  It's called "Bidis" and it's a blend of Inzolia and Chardonnay.  If you're a fan of minerally and mildly leesy white wines from France, you probably should give this a try.  Its aromas display smoky notes which I suspect come from some period of time on the spent yeast.  It's dry and  reasonably crisp.  Very fine, in fact.  We have the 2004 in stock presently.  
Bidis is sold in some Las Vegas restaurants and we often get requests from people around the country for this wine...

Their Poggio Bidini this year is delightfully drinkable and reasonably priced.  Here's a youthful, simple, fruity red wine (made of Nero d'Avola) with NO oak, no sugar, low tannins and modest alcohol, all assuring low numerical scores from critics.  
They won't like it because it isn't inky in color (but it is fairly dark), it doesn't have a forest-full of wood, it doesn't need 20 years of cellaring (a major 'flaw' on a hundred point scorecard) and it's not mouth-burning with 16% alcohol (wines which smack you over the head are deemed "worthy," no drinkable vino such as this one).

We suggest chilling the Poggio Bidini for an hour in the 'fridge...you can pair it easily with white meats, but it's also flavorful enough to match nicely with tomato-sauced pastas, grilled sausages, a pork chop or various red meats with Mediterranean seasonings.

 

I can order their other wines for you...these include Tan,  Cerasuolo di Vittoria and Il Moro.

Currently in stock:  2004 BIDIS  $29.99  (blend of Chardonnay and Inzolia)
2008 POGGIO BIDINI Nero d'Avola  (List $14)  SALE $11.99

 

 

ARGIOLAS

The Argiolas wines have been in our market for a number of years.  We've periodically had some of their wines as they seem to be a leading light in Sardegna.  

We applaud the Argiolas' family for maintaining the traditional grape varieties of their region, rather than jumping into the pool of Chardonnay and Cabernet.  So many Italian winemakers feel the need to make the same wines as the rest of the vintners on the planet, they often forget the heritage wines of their backyard.

Not Argiolas!


We're presently enthralled by a curious little white wine they offer called Nuragus di Cagliari.   The name "nuragus" comes from the nuraghi (stone towers) which dot the island.

Nuragus is a grape variety which is said to have been brought to Sardegna by the Phoenicians.  That must have been a while ago!

 

We've been fans of this little white wine for several vintages, yet it's only recently that we've actually had some in the shop to sell...

 

Guigal's $100 Condrieu was served alongside the Argiolas "Nuragus" wine at
our New Year's fest with seared Ahi tuna stuffed with crab meat & basil.
Both excellent wines, but most of us preferred the Argiolas wine.

 

The Argiolas family calls the Nuragus wine "S'elegas," apparently it's the name of the vineyard.   The wine doesn't see oak, yet there's an almost woodsy aspect to it which we find intriguing.  There are also fruity notes here...elements of ripe peach or melon come to the fore.  It's dry, of course.  We've typically paired this wine with seafood and it works very nicely with crab, prawns, scallops, clams, mussels, etc.  You could also match it with a mildly seasoned chicken dish if you like.  It's remarkably good and carries a modest-sized price tag (a combination we particularly appreciate)...

The Argiolas family also offers two stellar after-dinner beverages.  One is a Lemoncello-like liqueur called "Limonsardo."  It's actually a shade less sweet than most of the Italian lemon-flavored liqueurs.  Very nice, though. 
Also impressive is their Myrtle-berry infusion called "Mirto."  It's dark and deep, with an intense berry fruit aroma and flavor. 

Currently in stock:  ARGIOLAS 2007 Nuragus di Cagliari  Sold Out
ARGIOLAS  TREMONTIS "LIMONSARDO"  $34.99
ARGIOLAS  TREMONTIS  "MIRTO"  $34.99
We can special order other Argiolas wines for you.

     

MASTROBERARDINO

The Mastroberardino name should probably be better know than it is, as the family is a bit of an icon in the wine business in Campania.

Though they can trace the roots of the family tree back hundreds of years (and in some aspect of wine), Mastroberardino lost a bit of traction in the early 1990s when the two brothers, Walter and Antonio, split the business.  Antonio kept the brand name and winery, while most of the vineyards were retained by Walter, who started another winery, Terradora di Paolo.

Back in the 1970s, I recall tasting an ancient vintage of Mastroberardino Taurasi and found the wine to be remarkably complex and something "special."  It had withstood the test of time, was deep in terms of its bouquet and had a profound flavor with, still, a bit of 'grip' from tannin.  I think the wine was from the 1961 vintage and it illustrated that there was something special about the Aglianico grape, wine from the Taurasi appellation and the Mastroberardino winery.

The family remains dedicated to grape varieties which are particular to Campania and they don't dabble in wines with Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah.

Aglianico is their focus and they make a nice range of white wines, including Falanghina, Greco di Tufo and Fiano.  Recent vintages of these have been good and the wines are either improving or, perhaps my taste-buds are simply becoming more "in tune" with them...


We had their 2007 Falanghina, a lovely, brisk, light white wine.  It's not oak aged and I can't imagine wood contributing anything positive to the wine.  I find light citrus notes and a touch of a fragrance I associate with white flowers...It's a perfect aperitif white or first course wine, as it will certainly set the stage beautifully for a bottle of Taurasi.
"Sannio," by the way, is the appellation.

Curiously, the current distribution company is trying to unload the 2005 Falanghina and we're allergic to old wine which is past its prime.   



The Taurasi denominazione is often referred to as "the Barolo of the south" and this, perhaps is true.  However, we think good examples of Taurasi are wonderful wines and so, perhaps, they ought to really stand on their own.  Perhaps one day people will refer to Barolo as the "Taurasi of the north."  
Eh...maybe not.

Aglianico is the grape and this variety can make rather noble, majestic red wines.  It can also produce good, simple, hearty red.  

Mastroberardino makes several Taurasi wines.  

Taurasi "Radici" (refers to "roots", of which an old family such as Mastroberardino has plenty!) comes from Aglianico vineyards which are just attaining a point of maturity.  Their best years are ahead of them, but they are making good, typical, "classic" Taurasi.  We have their 2003 "Radici" in stock, a wine which spent a year, or so, in a combination of French oak barrels and Slavonian oak 'casks.'  Wood, though, is not the dominant feature.  There's a woodsy element or brushy tone to the wine with hints of dark fruit and perhaps a hint of a jammy quality.  The wine is quite drinkable now and should continue to evolve for several more years before hitting its plateau.

The 1999 Taurasi Radici Riserva is outstanding and comparisons with nicely developed Barolo are justified.  The wine shows great depth on the nose with hints of a tarry element which might recall some mature Nebbiolo wines.  The 1999 spent a much longer period of time in wood and it's got broad shoulders and plenty of backbone.  If you open a bottle in the next few years, I'd suggest decanting it an hour, or so, before serving.  Ideal food pairings would be braised meat dishes...lamb, venison, wild boar...you get the idea.

We should also mention their Lacryma Christi wines..."Del Vesuvio".  The red is made entirely of Piedirosso grapes...Sort of a berryish, mildly spicy red...medium bodied...perfect for grilled sausages & polenta or some other hearty "peasant fare."  The white wine is entirely Coda di Volpe, a dry, non-oaked white.  We usually have some bottles of each of these in stock.

 

Currently in stock:  2007 FALANGHINA  Sold Out
2003 TAURASI "Radici"  $44.99
1999 TAURASI "Radici" Riserva (list $80)  SALE $72.99
2004 LACRYMA CHRISTI Rosso $19.99

DI GIOVANNA

The Di Giovanna family traces its roots back to the 1860s in Sicilia, but the current 'chapter' of this story began in 1985 and it's a work in progress.

The vineyards amount to some 50 hectares around Sambuca di Sicilia, about an hour, or so, by car south of Palermo.  It's east of Marsala, if you're familiar with the Sicilian landscape.

The current generation of the Di Giovanna family are Gunther and Klaus, not exactly Sicilian-sounding names.  That's because their father, Aurelio, married a German woman, Barbara.  

They cultivate all sorts of local and not-so-local varieties.  We turned our nose up seeing they were making Viognier, but we have to admit, it's one of the nicest renditions of this Rhone grape we've had from outside France!  They make a good Merlot, too, but then, with consulting winemaker Riccardo Cotarella, they should.  And they do.  But we have little interest in these grapes.

Instead we're attracted to Nero d'Avola and Nerello Mascalese.   These are typical grapes from Sicilia and we found these to be particularly good.  I would not have guessed, when first tasting the range of wines of Di Giovanna, that Cotarella was involved here, since I didn't find his thumbprint on the wines.  Kudos to all for that!

There are two Nerello grape varieties.  Nerello Mascalese is thought to have originated on the "Mascari" plain, while the other Nerello, Nerello Cappuccio, is cultivated on the eastern side of Sicilia.

We have the 2005 Nerello Mascalese, a wine with some dark fruit notes, a hint of spice and barely a whiff of wood.  The wine sees less than half a year in oak, as the Di Giovanna family wants to highlight the grape more than the barrel-maker's art.  In fact, Gunther Di Giovanna lives in the vineyard and is obsessed with the grapes...in fact, he told us they spend most of their resources in the vineyard, since "you can't make good wine without good grapes."

The Nero d'Avola from Di Giovanna is also quite good.  We like Morgante's Nero, another Cotarella wine.  But the Morgante tastes like a Cotarella wine and the Di Giovanna tastes more like a Nero d'Avola.  It's matured in wood only briefly and so the fruit and berry notes are more prominent.  The tannins are fairly supple and pairing it with a tomato-sauced pasta or red meat will further soften the wine.

Currently in stock:  2005 NERO D'AVOLA Sold Out
2005 NERELLO MASCALESE Sold Out

 

CAPICHERA

This wine production is the work of the Ragnedda family, but they chose the name Capichera, figuring, I suppose, it's easier to pronounce and remember than Ragnedda.

Capichera is thought to be a corruption of the Latin phrase "caput erat," which meant something like "it was the capital."  My first exposure to Capichera wines was in Italy...I tasted a number of exceptional and exceptionally expensive Vermentino wines.  Obviously they have a lot of ambition, but the real question is can this winery make wines of good quality and realistic price tags?

They hired the famous Beppe Caviola, a Piemontese winemaker, as their consulting enologist.  Caviola makes good wines under his own label and works with dozens of good Piemontese estates.  

 

 

Of the Capichera label we have a really impressive red wine called "Assaj," a wine that's made of Carignano (or Carignane, if you prefer the French name).

This variety is regarded as a workhorse grape as the vines can produce a prolific crop.  I was counseled by an old Santa Clara County winemaker back in the 1970s that Carignane, when grown with care, could make a wine superior to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...sure.

But having tasted this, having tasted an "old vines" bottling from California and some skillfully-farmed Carignane in the Languedoc recently, I can say the grape can make some impressive wines.   The Capichera wine labeled "Asaj" is made entirely of Carignano.  The 2005 vintage is fairly deep in color with a youthful robe.  It's got dark blackberry fruit and a nice touch (maybe more than a touch depending upon what wine you've consumed before this one) of oak.  

Now the Ragnedda family has a new challenge and it's a brand called Kharisma.

We've found two stellar wines of this project and both are attractively priced.

KHARISMA white is predominantly Vermentino with a splash of some unusual grape called "Chardonnay."  About 25% of the must is fermented in French oak, the balance going into stainless steel tanks.  The nose is a bit 'quiet' but it's remarkably expressive on the palate.  We find a hint of melon and apples on the nose, with coconut and ginger tones in the mouth.  It's much fuller on the palate than you'd expect.  Dry, of course.

The 2006 Kharisma Red wine is 95% Carignano with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.  We like the dark berry notes in this wine and there's a nice spice note from the oak.  We find these Kharisma wines to be good values, too.

 

Currently in stock:  2005 CAPICHERA "ASAJ" (Carignano)  SALE $39.99
2007 KHARISMA WHITE (Mostly Vermentino)  SALE $19.99
2006 KHARISMA RED (Mostly Carignano)  $24.99

COSIMO TAURINO

Though the late Cosimo Taurino was regarded as an innovator and "modernist" when he started, to us his wines remain very much "old school" and a bit old-fashioned.

Taurino was a pharmacist who had a fascination with wine.  He established a winery, as we understand it, in 1970.  The estate, however, called "Notare Panaro" (they make a wine that's called Notarpanaro) is in a town called Guagnano in the Provincia of Lecce.  They're just a few miles north of Salice Salentino and east of Manduria (a home to the famed Primitivo grape).

The foundation of the estate is the Negroamaro grape, though they do grow Semillon and Riesling, despite being situated in a relatively hot region.  They also have a bit of Chardonnay and Cabernet.  Taurino never was a fan of Primitivo, as we understand.  

One of the best values in "rustic," classic Italian wine is the Salice Salentino Riserva (the label is posted above).  This is the main wine of the Taurino estate and it's about 90% Negroamaro with, typically, 10% Malvasia Nera.  If you're looking for a "fruit bomb" or a wine that's lavishly oaked, this is not for you.   It's very much "old school" Italian red and for those people who are in sync with the wine, it's remarkably good.  Soulful.  But, of course, not a universally-appealing red wine.  Pair it with a savory stew or braised meat.

Their Notarpanaro wine is usually predominantly Negroamaro with a bit of Malvasia Nera.  Some vintages have been entirely Negroamaro as is the 2000.  It's a wine that's matured for several years in wood and then several more years in bottle.  The world moves a little more slowly in Puglia than it does in California, for example.  Big, ripe, deep and powerful...braised meats or grilled, well-seasoned lamb works exceptionally well with this.

 

Currently in stock:  2004 SALICE SALENTINO  SALE $13.99
2000 NOTARPANARO $16.99

 

CAGGIANO

I'm guessing Antonio Caggiano is in his late 60s or early 70s.  (The San Francisco Chronicle, in a 2004 article by Janet Fletcher on obscure grapes and the wines they make describes Caggiano as a "young revolutionary who has built a modern cantina and overhauled outmoded vineyard practices."  I suppose Janet views Robert Parker, then, as a really young buck!

 

The "young" Antonio Caggiano, Mister Taurasi

Caggiano spent his life owning a construction company.  He has been a skilled photographer, too, visiting remote places in search of adventure and the perfect photo.  In 1990 he decided to take the plunge and get into the wine business.   He started selling grapes back in the early days and started making wine in 1994.   Today, with the help of winemaker Marco Moccia and his son "Pepe" (who handles much of the business side of the operation), Caggiano turns out about 150,000 bottles of wine annually.

The winery is actually located in the town of Taurasi, so Caggiano really does carry the flag for the appellation.  

The winery produces several versions of Aglianico wines.  Their Taurasi wine from the vineyard "Macchia dei Goti" is the heavy hitter.  This is matured in French oak barriques such as the ones in the photo directly above.

"Salae Domini" is labeled as Aglianico dell'Irpinia though this, too, comes from Taurasi vineyards.  It's matured in French oak, too.   Spending less time in wood as it's vinified for immediate drinkability if their "Tari" wine.  They seem to be changing the name of this from Tari to Tauri.  This is an exuberantly berryish version of Aglianico and we like it served at cool cellar temp with all sorts of Mediterranean fare.  The 2006 is currently in stock.  Very nice!

Caggiano also has a modest-sized agriturismo down the hill from the winery.  It looks like a nice place.

The Caggiano wines age much better than has this garlic near the barbecue area at Caggiano's agriturismo.

Currently in stock:  2006 CAGGIANO "Tari" Aglianico dell'Irpinia $19.99
2003 CAGGIANO TAURASI  (list $60)  SALE $37.99

 

LIBRANDI

Calabria hasn't been particularly well-known in the international market, though the Librandis are working on changing that.  

I had thought to go visit Calabria a few years ago and the price of an airline ticket there from, say, Frankfurt, was ridiculously high, so I passed.
In calculating the driving time to the Librandi's home town of Cirò Marina, I saw I would need about 6 hours in the car from a location in Campania.  This brought home the reality of the American expression:  "You cain't git there from here."

Is Calabria that far off the beaten path that there is no path?  

Cirò and Cirò Marina (the part of the town that's right on the water) are on the east coast of Calabria.  Cirò Marina is a lovely seaside village with a row of fish stores featuring the day's latest catch.  While you might think white wine would be a hot ticket here, it's actually an area more noted for red wines.

Stirring the sediment in barrel.


Old samples in the cellar.


Old bottles of Cirò.

Calabrese "Chianti".


Old bottles dating back to 1970 (on the right).

Tasting Cirò with Donato Abenante.

The Librandi family has been bottling wine since the 1950s and, until perhaps the past decade, were one of a dozen producers of Cirò wines.  In my view, they're currently the leading winery in the appellation, producing good quality, reliable wines.

The firm owns more than 230 hectares of vineyards and another hundred in olive groves.   There's a small "army" of about a hundred people who work in the vineyards and a crew of 30 in the cellar.  It takes a lot of manpower to make 2,500,000 bottles of wine!

We've been fans of Librandi's basic red wine, Cirò, for some years.  It's made entirely of the Gaglioppo grape, which you may know under its Campanian or Basilicata banner as "Aglianico."  Years ago, Cirò used to be blended with small amounts of white grapes, much along the lines of Sangiovese in Chianti.  Today Librandi's wine is solely Gaglioppo and it's a wine which has a nice level of wood: none.
Yes, in a world of wine where oak is highly regarded, Librandi makes its normal bottling of Cirò without wood.  This is a nice easy-going red which pairs well with all sorts of simple Italian fare.  It's not intended for aging, so drinking it within two to five years of the vintage date is probably about right.

They make a Riserva version which is called Duca San Felice.  It's made from vineyards producing a slightly lower crop level and has a shade more 'structure.'  

Gaglioppo meets the New World in a wine called Gravello.  It comes from vineyards south of Cirò in the Val di Neto and it's blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and matured in French oak.  The wine is quite good and routinely gains notoriety from various wine journals.  

I agitated the hell out of Paolo Librandi by telling he and his importer's representative I had no interest in tasting the latest vintage.  ((I taste this wine once or twice a year and find it to be quite good.))  I told Signor Librandi, "You know, I've never had a customer request a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that's been blended with Gaglioppo."  

Well, we haven't.  
Besides, Gaglioppo is particular to Calabria--Cabernet is grown all over the planet.  Do they need to grow it in Calabria, too?  Do Bordeaux vintners ever think to blend their wines with Gaglioppo, I wonder?  

Another grape we've enjoyed from Calabria is Magliocco.  This variety had been thought to be Gaglioppo, but recent studies indicate it is not the same and it's a completely different variety entirely.    The Librandi family says this variety is ancient, dating back to Roman and Greek times.  They've been dabbling with Magliocco for a number of years and in this past decade have been making some remarkably good wine of this grape.

The wine takes the name "Magno Megonio," a Roman army leader who left his footprint in the Val di Neto area south of Cirò.  We were knocked out by the 2001 and did not find the 2003 to be as enticing.  However, the 2005 and 2006 vintages are quite good.  I do not know when these will arrive in our market, but I tasted both vintages and found them to be very good.

We can special order the Gravello and Duca San Felice wines for you...Maybe some of their other offerings, too.  Please inquire.

Currently in stock: Librandi Cirò Rosso $12.99
Librandi 2001 Magno Megonio  Sold Out  (the 2003 is available by special order, though we don't find it to be as elegant as the

MY CALABRIAN DINNER IN CIRÒ MARINA WITH THE LIBRANDI'S

PLANETA

Sicily experienced a huge earthquake in 1968.   Not far from its epicenter, another tremor is taking place: it's called the Planeta winery!  The Planeta name is known in Sicilia, as Diego Planeta has been the head man at the large Settesoli winery where they make a wide range of wines.  A fellow from a neighboring winery says without the efforts of Signor Planeta, Sicily would "still be asleep" in terms of producing good quality wines.

Planeta's daughter Francesca and nephew Alessio head a team (assisted by Piemonte's Carlo Corino) to create an interesting assortment of modern wines. 

They make Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This, I believe, they do to try to gain international attention (much like Angelo Gaja did in Piemonte in the early 1980s).   These wines fare well compared to new and old world offerings.  Once they've gained notoriety for those varieties the average wine consumer is familiar with, perhaps that customer will venture into wines which are particular to Planeta. 

I have tasted a range of wines from this estate.  Virtually everything I've tasted has been well-done.  Whether or not the quality of the wines matches their price tags is something else, though they make perfectly serviceable, modestly-priced wines.

My view is that the wines could have a bit more depth (perhaps as the vineyards become mature and they have more vintages under their collective belts?).  However, this is a property to watch!

Their white wine, La Segreta Bianco, is made of Grecanico blended with 30% Chardonnay.   No oak.  I like the somewhat spicy notes of this dry white. 

Cabernet Sauvignon seems to thrive in this microclimate.  I had tasted some other Sicilian Cabernets and thought cultivating that variety under such a hot sun was a mistake.   These kids must have either the perfect vineyard site, a great handle on the cultivation or both.  We included Planeta's 1997 Cabernet in an Italian Cabernet tasting (years ago, now)  and it placed second behind Isole e Olena's outstanding wine and ahead of Antinori's Solaia, for example.  

 

 

I read of a major blind-tasting in Europe, the theme of which was "Best Italian White Wine."  It's not clear to me how a group of experts can compare such a diverse bunch of wines.  They were tasting Chardonnays, proprietary blends, Gewürztraminers, Verdicchio, Sauvignons, Trebbiano and more.  Two Planeta wines from the Planeta family fared well.  In fact, one was voted the best Italian white wine, period.  The other came in third place.  Quite a showing for Planet and for Sicilia!
That said, I bought a bottle of their Cometa, a wine made of the Fiano grape, and wondered how in the world it took top honors.  Perhaps the wine develops in the bottle and, at 5 or 6 years of age, it shows something unimaginable in its first year or two?  
Their Chardonnay, however, is one of those "wine-tasting wines."  Big, fat, relatively high in alcohol and palate-fatiguing.  At least to me.

We tasted and liked the Planeta "Cerasuolo" wine.  Now, in some places in Italy, Cerasuolo refers to a pink wine or Rosé.

In Sicilia, "Cerasa" is a dialect term for cherries.   And this cherry-like, agreeable red wine is made from Nero d'Avola and Frappato.  

 

 

 

 

This is a lovely wine to enjoy in its youth (yours, too, for that matter).  It doesn't have a lot of tannin, so serving it at cool cellar temp makes it all the more enjoyable.  

 

Currently in stock:  PLANETA Cerasuolo  $19.99

MORGANTE

Though the Morgante family has been cultivating grapevines and almonds for many generations, it's only in the past decade that they've embarked upon their own winemaking mission.  Located in Southern Sicily, the Morgantes fiddle around with  a number of acres of Nero d'Avola, the red variety which is Sicily's best shot at making something of exceptional quality and which is unique to the area. 

 Helping orchestrate things is winemaker/wine-wizard Riccardo Cotarella, who is doing a fabulous job in Umbria and elsewhere.


You can see Cotarella's fingerprints all over this wine.  It reminds me, very much, of the style of La Carraia's Sangiovese from Umbria and Sportoletti's blend called Assisi Rosso.   Some people argue "That's what's wrong with some winemakers.  They put their stamp on a wine so you can tell it's their  wine, but you can't tell where the wine is from precisely."

With Morgante's Nero d'Avola, Cotarella obtains a very "juicy", fruity foundation with minimal tannins.  The wine then is put into oak for but a few months;  just enough to add some cedary notes, but not enough to diminish the fruit.  

We have the 2007 in stock currently.  The wine is young, exuberantly fruity and drinkable immediately.  It is not intended for cellaring, though the Morgante's do offer a "more important" version of Nero d'Avola (at a more painfully important price, too, I might add).    We had both in a blind tasting of Sicilian reds and I had the Morgante wines ranked first and second.  I gave the nod to the special bottling, but find the basis bottling to be of similar quality, just styled differently.

Anyway...nice wine.  Modest price, given this quality.  Another undiscovered gem from someplace other than California.  Don't miss it.

Currently in stock:  Morgante 2007 Nero d'Avola $17.99

 

 

TASCA D'ALMERITA

You might know the name of these wines as "Regaleali," a famous brand of wine which for some wine drinkers equates to "Sicilia."  The Tasca d'Almerita family has been cultivating vines on the property for more than 150 years and they've routinely been viewed as innovators in vine-growing as well as in the cellar.

The name of the property, Regaleali, harkens back more than a thousand years, when Sicily was under Arab rule. The name comes from "Rahal Ali" and it means something like "Ali's Fortress."

The estate is located a modest drive from Palermo and though most people think of Sicily as a hot climate area, you must remember that this estate is planted at its lower elevations around 450 meters (approximately 1476.38 feet). The higher elevation vines are at 700 meters (or about 2296.59 feet).  As a result, despite the warm (or hot) temperatures during the day, aromatics and acidity are bolstered by cool night-time temps.  This is one of their secrets.

 

Though they cultivate many of the normal, indigenous grape varieties at Regaleali, the property also features famous French varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet.  Lucio Tasca d'Almerita secretly planted these years ago and kept them a secret from his father who would have been upset.  That's because these grapes were not permitted at that time and, of course, they're not "traditional" vines for Sicily.   In my limited tasting of these, I can't say I've found Cabernet which rivals Bordeaux or Napa.  Nor can I say I'm replacing white Burgundies or California Chardonnays with the Regaleali wine.

They do make, however, some nice wines of traditional Sicilian grapes.  Rosso del Conte is a notable "ambassador" from Sicilia and it's a blend of Nero d'Avola with, usually a small percentage of Perricone.  It's an internationally-styled wine, being matured in French oak.  

We tasted a number of their wines in early June 2007.

Regaleali Bianco  is a nice little dry white that's a blend of Inzolia, Cataratto and Grecanico...it's a pleasantly appley, mildly citrusy dry white that's a good aperitif wine and it sets up red wines nicely.

Regaleali "Le Rose"  is a dry pink wine made from Nerello Mascalese...It's lightly cherryish and also will set up a nice red.  It's a refreshing wine for warm weather drinking.

Regaleali  Nero d'Avola, their basic red wine is a pleasant, simple rendition of this increasingly popular grape.  It's not trying to be a grand vin and it's a medium weight, well-made, if unspectacular red wine.

More interesting (and more costly) is their 2004 "Lamri" wine, another rendition of Nero d'Avola.  Now you're getting serious.  This is a deeper, darker, more soulful wine.  I found a fragrance of violets and it reminded me of some Australian reds which also have this floral tone on the nose.  

The 2002 Rosso del Conte is their "old vines" bottling of Nero d'Avola, essentially.  It's more structured and tannic, with nice dark cherry fragrances and a woodsy element from its having been matured in a high percentage of new French oak.  

We can special order any of these wines for you...Give us a few days' notice, please.

 

By Special Order:  2007 Regaleali Bianco  $12.99
2007 Regaleali "Le Rose" $12.99
Regaleali 2006 Nero d'Avola $15.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2005 "Lamuri" (Nero d'Avola) $21.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2003 "Rosso del Conte" $59.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2003 "Cygnus"  (Nero d'Avola/Cabernet blend) $29.99
Tasca d'Almerita 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon $69.99










FEUDI di SAN GREGORIO

Located in Campania, you'll find Feudi di San Gregorio in a sub-region known as Irpinia.  This is a special micro-climate, not as hot as you'd expect for central and southern Italia.   The place is named after Pope Gregory the Great.  It was founded in 1986 by the Capaldo and Ercolino families and Riccardo Cotarella is their consulting enologist.   The property comprises some 105 hectares.

Their white wines are of a very modern, fresh style.  I suspect the particular kind of yeast they're using may over-ride the actual varietal character if the grapes.  I can't really distinguish between the aromas of their Fiano, Falanghina or Greco di Tufo wines.  They all have similar fragrances.  


I lost my enthusiasm for the wines a few years ago, frankly.  I'd driven six hours from Toscana to get to Campania...and I arrived 20 minutes late for my 4 o'clock appointment.  We spent an hour meandering around the cellar and then conversing with a bottling department staffer.  

I inquired about tasting a few of their wines and was informed that all the people capable of operating a corkscrew had gone home.  
Oh well...

I've tasted a range of wines from Feudi from time to time.  The whites, as mentioned, seem ultramodern and perhaps a touch sweet.  The reds are nice, though certainly veering towards appealing to New World wine drinkers.

 

The winery has received the most attention for its "Serpico" wine.  This is an Aglianico wine which they say comes from fruit grown within the Taurasi region.  It's an "IGT" designated wine, though.  You'll taste the Aglianico, certainly, but it's also made in a modern, oak-aged style.

 

We have access to many of their wines, so we can special order their other bottlings for you.  

Currently in stock: 
2003 "Serpico" $69.99 (sale priced)






FAZI BATTAGLIA

This firm was founded in 1949 and in the 1950s organized a competition for designers to create a wine bottle for their Verdicchio.
An architect from Milano named Maiocchi won the competition, creating a bottle in the fashion of an old amphora.  This is Fazi-Bazzi's trademark today, some 50 years later!  
Their Verdicchio is a decently made, if somewhat anonymous tasting white wine.  It has a touch of fruit when young and is dry and light.  

 

Currently in stock: We can special order this for you...

GULFI

Vito Catania (does that name sound Italian, or what?) makes his money in northern Italia, but spends it on olives and grapes in Sicilia.  Catania has some sort of enterprise in or near Milano, but is of Sicilian origins, so he's simply returning to familiar (grape) stomping grounds.

His Gulfi winery is a specialist in the Nero d'Avola variety, "the" red grape of Sicily.   To help him achieve the goal of being "Mister Nero d'Avola," he's enlisted the services of Salvatore Foti, a noteworthy consulting winemaker.

We've seen the wines are offered by a large California wine importer now and we can special order these for you...I've not tasted them since the 2002 vintage.

Currently in stock:  Special Orders available.

 

 

 

VETRERE

My first visit to Puglia was to check on a couple of wineries whose wines we had liked.  I was curious to see if they were really "serious" about making good wines and found the wines to be "hit or miss," mostly miss.

Having tasted several vintages from the Vetrere winery which were consistently good, I made another trek to Puglia.

This estate is located a few miles north of the city of Taranto...I was on the highway and it appeared to be an industrial city along the lines of Benicia in Solano County.  Taranto is a hub of steel and iron works, ship-building, oil refineries and the municipality declared bankruptcy a few years before going broke became so fashionable for governments and industry.  (They were 637 Million Euros in the hole in 2005!)

 

Drive north of Taranto and you'll see more agriculture.  

 

 

 

Vetrere's vineyards...the winery is located in those buildings in the distance.

The cellars are functional and not much of a show place...it's a 'real' and working winery.

 

A few of their red wines see a bit of oak.

 

The Bruni sisters own Vetrere.  The estate produces lots of olives and olive oil.  Only a small percentage of the property is devoted to wine.  The first vintage was 2002...

We have been fans of their Primitivo wines, particularly since these have not been "primitive."  There's one in stock presently called "Barone Pazzo" which displays a clove-like, brown spice note on the nose and it offers lots of berry-like fruit.  The wine is smooth and drinkable now...it's not a cellar-worthy red.  I think they've named the wine after the California importer, who's charmingly pazzo (crazy).



Currently in Stock:  VETRERE "Barone Pazzo"  PRIMITIVO $19.99

 

 

PALARI

We understand Julius Caesar was a fan of the wines from Messina, a small wine growing region in the shadows of Mount Etna.  Here, in north-east Sicilia, one finds an interesting production of unusually elegant red wine.

Former architect-turned-vintner Salvatore Geraci produces a much sought-after wine called "Faro."  This is a small DOC and Geraci's wine is the reference point for the appellation.   Palari came about thanks to the late wine critic, Luigi Veronelli.  He introduced Geraci to winemaker Donato Lanati.  The pair worked for a number of years before Geraci was happy enough with the quality of the wine to expect people to pay money for it.

The vineyards are such that production is quite low.  I think they claim to harvest but a couple of pounds of grapes per vine.  Many winemakers prefer such a low yield in their attempts to make wines of great color, intensity and concentration.  They seek huge numerical scores from various critics and "turning up the volume" by making "extreme" wines is the way to go. 

But Palari is not deeply-colored.  Nor is it huge, over-the-top, pushing-the-envelope red wine.  I suspect many tasters will be disappointed since the wine doesn't club you over the head with alcohol, extract or oak.  Instead Geraci's Faro wine is elegant in the fashion of a fine Burgundy, rather than being reminiscent of a Turley Zinfandel.

 

The wine is a blend of Sicilian varieties.  Nerello, Cappuccio, Nocera , Acitana, Tignolino, Galatena and one called Calabrese (which is, apparently, not from Calabria but is the Nero grape, as in Nero d'Avola).  The wine is fermented in small lots and then matured in French oak, Alliers and Tronçais in particular.   

We have the 2003 Faro in stock presently.  I've tasted several vintages and they're consistently good.  The color is, as mentioned before, close to that of a good Pinot Noir.  The aromas are of red fruits with notes of vanilla and a touch of brown spice.  The wine is medium-bodied on the palate and the tannins are rather round and soft.  The winery people claim this can cellar nicely for a decade, but I'd view it as something to drink over the next couple of years.  

 

Currently in stock:  PALARI 2003 "Faro"  Sold Out

 

 

 

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