That is the third and last a part of the tour to Campania that I organized as a member of the Dutch affiliation of Vinologists (Verenigde Vinologen Nederland). After a day of attending to know the wines of Sannio, we continued our exploration of Campanian wine on the Costa d’Amalfi. On this last half we get to know the wines of Irpinia.
Irpinia DOC wines might be produced from grapes from all around the province of Avellino, however the three DOCGs can solely be produced from particular municipalities. Taurasi DOCG is for crimson wines of Aglianico, and was the primary DOCG in Southern Italy, established in 1993. Greco di Tufo DOCG has the smallest manufacturing space and consists of solely 8 municipalities across the city of Tufo. There are 2 municipalities through which each Taurasi DOCG and Fiano de Avellino DOCG could also be produced. Regardless of the small space, the manufacturing of Greco is bigger (5 million bottles per yr) than that of Fiano (3 million bottles). Greco and particularly Fiano are each appropriate for getting old. From 2019, there’s a Riserva model of each DOCGs, with an extra yr of getting old earlier than the wine is allowed to be launched. The annual manufacturing of Taurasi is just about 1 million bottles. Vineyards in Irpinia are between 300 and 900 meters above sea stage. Due to that, the temperature is 5 to eight levels Celsius (9 to 14 levels Fahrenheit) increased than on the coast. After the devastating earthquake of 1980, a number of new wineries had been established in Irpinia. Now there are 300, a number of them small.
Mazzella
The primary vineyard we visited in Irpinia was Mazzella within the municipality of Paternopoli. Gian Luca Mazzella was a journalist, however turned a winemaker and gained expertise in wineries in several European nations. He’s very obsessed with superb wine, and thought it was unusual that there existed no costly icon wines in Italy south of Tuscany. Particularly since within the comparatively cool local weather of the hills of Irpinia, it must be potential to supply a superb wine with getting old potential from the late-ripening Aglianico. And so he got down to create such a wine, and referred to as it Paterico.
He has purchased 3.5 hectares (10 acres) of outdated vine Aglianico, and has leased an additional 2.5 hectares (6 acres). The outdated vines are educated as pergolas and appear like timber. Gian Luca took us to a kind of vineyards to indicate us. To get top quality, he restricts the yields to a really low 1000 litres per hectare. The primary classic was 2019 and it has already been bought out. He has produced solely about 3000 bottles and isn’t planning to ever produce greater than 5000. Paterico has directly change into the costliest wine of Italy south of Tuscany.
Paterico is Taurasi DOCG, however it’s completely different from most different Taurasi as a result of the vineyards used for Paterico are about 530 meters above sealevel with southern publicity, whereas most different Taurasi is at 300 meters with diversified solar publicity. Paterico is extra elegant. The primary distinction between a DOC and a DOCG is {that a} panel must style the wine and assert that it is sort of a typical Taurasi. I requested Mazzella about this, however he mentioned that to this point this had not turned out to be a difficulty, regardless that Paterico is completely different from most different Taurasi. Aglianico can produce rustic wines if the pores and skin just isn’t ripe. However since Aglianico doesn’t get overripe and retains its freshness, Mazzella harvests very late. The 2019 was harvested on November 18. He destems the grapes to take away inexperienced tannins from the stems. He makes use of spontaneous fermentation, which takes 3 to 4 weeks. He doesn’t press and macerates for a very long time: 2019 for 3 months, 2020 for 55 days. The malolactic begins as late as August of the yr after the harvest, which may be very late. The 2019 was aged for 4 years in oak, the 2020 for 3 years.
We tasted 2019 and 2020, which had simply been bottled, with Ornellaia 2019 as a benchmark comparability. The Paterico 2019 was recent and chic with excessive acidity and the tannins nonetheless want a number of time. The Paterico 2020 had lovely cherry fruit, extra however softer tannins than 2020, decrease acidity than 2019, and a touch of eucalyptus. Though it was youthful than 2019, it was already extra balanced. It was very elegant and it’s clear that Mazzella is attempting to supply one thing nearer to a traditional Médoc than to Taurasi or a crimson from Southern Italy on the whole. I’m very curious how this wine will develop over time. The Ornellaia 2019 had a number of gentle tannins and a touch of inexperienced bell pepper. No one in our group thought it was nearly as good because the Paterico, however it is usually (barely) cheaper than Paterico.
Trattoria Concè
For dinner we went to Trattoria Concè, which makes a speciality of native dishes from Irpinia. We began consuming on a really massive desk exterior, however needed to transfer inside after the antipasti because it was getting too chilly.
We began with the home antipasti, which consisted of salumi and cheese, mousse of ricotta with tomato, beans in Naepolitan pork and beef ragù, focaccia with black summer season truffle, and deep fried zucchini blossoms. As primo piatto we had a neighborhood dish with an advanced title, Maccaronara allo Scarpariello, which is definitely simply recent pasta with a sauce of cherry tomatoes, basil, and grated parmigiano. The secondo was grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes, and we had an apple and vanilla tart because the dolce.
It goes with out saying that every one of this was accompanied by wine from Irpinia:
- Colli di Lapio, Cielia Romano Fiano di Avellino 2022
- Cantine di Marzo, Greco di Tufo 2022
- Di Meo, Hamilton Taurasi 2009
- Quintodecimo, Taurasi Riserva 2014
- Cinque Querce Taurasi Riserva 2010
Consorzio Irpinia
We had been obtained on the Petilia vineyard by Teresa Bruno, the president of the Irpinia Consorzio Tutela Vini and proprietor of Petilia collectively together with her brother Roberto, in addition to Ilaria Petitto, the vice-president of the consortium and proprietor of the Donnachiara vineyard, and winemaker Arturo Erbaggio.
These are the wines we tasted:
- Donnachiara, Esoterico Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2022 (natural, made in stainless-steel, late harvest in October): floral, mineral, elegant
- Donnachiara, Aletheia Greco di Tufo Riserva 2021 (aged 12 months in stainless-steel with stirring of the lees, then an extra yr within the bottle)
- Petilia Tarantella 2023 (glowing Greco, made by bottling wine with sufficient grape juice to get a second fermentation going within the bottle to get 4 bars of pression, no sulfite is used, as a result of the CO2 will protect the wine): orange zest, golden, juicy, recent, jogs my memory of cider
- Petilia Quattro Venti Greco di Tufo Riserva 2020 (from the highest of a hill at 500 meters above sea stage, the title refers back to the wind that comes from all 4 cardinal instructions on the high of the hill, solely 3000 bottles produced from 1 hectare (2.5 acres), aged 18 months in stainless-steel with stirring of the lees): salty, recent, mineral.
- Donnachiara Per Umberto Taurasi Riserva 2019 (from sandy soil at solely 300 meters above sea stage): oak, ripe gentle tannins, ‘heat’
- Selva Solina Taurasi Riserva 2016 (chilly maceration, aged in 500 litre medium toasted oak tonneaux): brisker fashion, extra construction
Teresa ready a scrumptious lunch for us with produce from the Petilia farm: antipasti and hand-made fussili with recent tomato sauce.
Feudi di San Gregorio
We additionally visited the biggest vineyard in Irpinia: Feudi di San Gregorio. The tasting room provides 360 diploma views of the large cellar.
The wines we tasted at Feudi had been:
- Pietracalda Fiano di Avellino Riserva DOCG (stainless-steel for 1 yr, then 1 yr within the bottle):
- 2022: yellow apple, mineral, structured
- 2016: developed, roasted almonds, extra physique, steadiness, and complexity than 2022
- Cutizzi Greco di Tufo Riserva (stainless-steel for 1 yr, then 1 yr within the bottle):
- 2022: peach, recent, steadiness, crispy, construction
- 2016: golden, recent, developed, honey, much less physique, steadiness, and complexity than 2022
- Taurasi (1 yr in oak, each massive barrels and barrique)
- 2019: darkish fruit, acidity, gentle tannins
- 2008: developed nostril, ample however gentle tannins, flavorful
- Studi Sirica 2019 (found in an outdated pergola-trained winery of 4 to five hectares (10 to 12 acres), the range regionally named as Sirica seems to be Syrah/Shiraz, solely 6000 bottles produced): comparatively mild shade, gentle tannins, earthy
- Serpico Irpinia Aglianico DOC 2016 (from 4 meters excessive pergola-trained very outdated (100 years+) prephyloxxera vines, 18 months in massive and small oak): great, gentle tannins, elegant, recent, earthy
I assumed it was fascinating to note that (no less than within the case of Feudi), the Fiano had aged higher than the Greco.
Terredora di Paolo
Our subsequent go to was to Terredora di Paolo. The Mastroberardino household has been within the wine enterprise because the finish of the 18th century and are ambassadors of Irpinian wine. Due to a disagreement between the 2 brothers Paolo and Angelo, there now two wineries run by the Mastroberardino household, with solely considered one of them utilizing the household’s title (which we visited subsequent). We had been obtained by Daniela Mastroberardino. Terredora is called after Dora, Daniela’s mom.
At Terredora we had an exquisite horizontal and vertical tasting of a minimum of 14 wines, evaluating the identical wine at completely different vintages and/or completely different wines of the identical classic:
- Greco di Tufo Terre degli Angeli (replanted utilizing 4 clones, made in stainless-steel):
- 2022: honey
- 2018: honey, developed, bitter word
- Greco di Tufo Loggia della Serra (plant materials based mostly on mass choice, made in stainless-steel):
- 2022: mineral, extra acidic than Terre degli Angeli
- 2018: advanced, mineral, steadiness
- Fiano di Avellino
- 2022: yellow fruit, creamy
- 2022: mineral
- Fiano di Avellino Riserva Campore (outdated vines, 6 months in French oak barriques)
- 2019: creamy, steadiness, construction, already a bit developed
- 2009: golden shade, developed aroma, advanced, mineral, full physique, lengthy end, not oxidated in any respect regardless of the age
- Taurasi Fatica Contadina 2015 (launched after 6-7 years): earthy recent, ripe tannins
- Taurasi Pago dei Fusi
- 2015: earthy, restrained aroma, gentle tannins, recent, extra worldwide fashion than Fatica Contadina
- 2009: velvet tannins, restrained aroma, mineral
- 2008: developed aroma, recent, tannins nonetheless agressive
- 2007: mineral, a number of tannins however velvety, dried fruit, wonderful classic
- Taurasi Riserva Campore 2007: wonderful fruit, appears a lot youthful and nonetheless has a number of shade, a number of tannins however velvety, great
Mastroberardino
Our last vineyard go to was to Mastroberardino. We began with a go to to the cellar and the museum. Mastroberardino has 260 hectares (600 acres) of vineyards in Taurasi, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino DOCGs. In addition they have some Falanghina del Sannio DOC. They produce about 1.8 million bottles per yr.
Within the museum is a powerful assortment of outdated bottles going again to 1928, of which some are nonetheless used for vertical tastings.
Fred made some wonderful recommendations for wines we wish to style, together with the wine that was produced from vineyards on the historic location of vineyards in Pompei (a venture that has been discontinued in 2021).
We tasted these wines:
- Nero a metà 2019 (blanc de noir from Aglianico, harvested mid October, aged 10 months on the lees in stainless-steel, 18 months in bottle): honey, very mild shade.
- Extra Maiorum 2017 (50% Fiano, 50% Greco, 18 months in French oak barriques, then 42 months in bottle, with malo): advanced, steadiness
- Greco di Tufo Riserva Stilemma 2018 (aged 24 months with stirring of the lees, 7% aged in oak, 93% in stainless-steel, then 24 months in bottle): almond, developed
- RediMore Irpinia Aglianico DOC 2022 (Mirabella winery, one biotype of Aglianico chosen from outdated biotypes, 6 months in French oak barrique, 1 yr in bottle): fruity, gentle tannins, simple to drink regardless of the quantity of tannins
- Taurasi Riserva DOCG 2017 (13 months in massive Slavonian oak, 48 months in bottle): tannins nonetheless astringent, recent
- Naturalis Historia Taurasi Riserva 2016 (outdated vines of fifty+ years, 24 months in French oak barrique, 52 months in bottle): fruity, velvet tannins, advanced, steadiness, great
- Taurasi Riserva DOCG 1998 (final classic in massive chestnut barrels): gentle tannins, fruit nonetheless current, steadiness, advanced, elegant.
- Villa dei Misteri 2012 (Piedirosso, Aglianico and Sciascinoso from 1.5 hectares at historic winery websites in Pompei, 1700 bottles produced from 1.5 hectares): developed aroma, fruity style, some eucalyptus
Dinner with Villa Matilde
We had been actually sorry that we needed to skip our go to to Villa Matilde because of the horrible flight delay we had on our first day, so we had been very glad that Marco Marchiori of Villa Matilde had accepted our invitation to hitch our last dinner of the journey (at Hostaria Manfredi) and had even introduced some wines. Villa Matilde is a vineyard within the Falerno del Massico DOC within the province of Caserta that produces white from Falanghina and crimson from a mix of Piedirosso and Aglianico. Falernum was already well-known in Roman occasions for the standard of its wine. We had additionally obtained a magnum of Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2019 from Pietracupa to take pleasure in over dinner.
With our dinner we loved:
- Terre Stregate Caracara Falanghina 2019
- Villa Matilde Falerno del Massico Bianco (100% Falanghina, 3 months in stainless-steel)
- Villa Matilde Falerno del Massico Bianco Vigna Caracci (100% Falanghina from “cru”, 3 months in amphora, barrique, and stainless-steel, with partly stirring of the lees)
- Terredora Irpinia Falanghina DOC
- Terredora Greco di Tufo DOCG
- Pietracupa Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2019
- Villa Matilde Falerno del Massico Rosso (80% Aglianico, 20% Piedirosso, aged 10 to 12 months, for 50% in French oak barriques (33% new), 50% in massive oak barrels)
- Villa Matilde Falerno del Massico Rosso Vigna Camarato (80% Aglianico, 20% Piedirosso from “cru”, 12 to 18 months in French oak (33% new, 33% second passage, 33% third passage), adopted by 12 to 18 months in bottle)
For the meals we had antipasti consisting of salumi and cheese, fried zucchini flowers full of ricotta, and Parmigiana di Melanzane. The latter was completely different from the model that I make myself, as a result of the eggplant slices had been dipped in batter earlier than frying them. The primo was paccheri with a ragù of bacalà (dried cod), sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and olives. The secondo was pork fillet, wrapped in prosciutto, with friggitelli of inexperienced peppers and mashed potato. The meal ended with some do-it-yourself biscotti with hazelnuts.
Pompei & Pizza
On our final day we had a guided tour of Pompei. in addition to…
…Neapolitan pizza at Diego Vitagliano, which has received quite a few awards for its pizzas.
We had 8 completely different pizzas, together with Margherita, with ham and pistachios, or with anchovies. They had been all scrumptious.
We had some wine with the pizza as effectively. All from uncommon autochtonous grape varieties from the Cetara province (which we missed on the primary day due to the flight delay).
- Trentapioli Asprinio d’Aversa DOC Metodo Martinotti Brut (100% Asprinio, charmet technique): excessive acidity
- Il Verro Pallagrello Nero Terre del Volturno IGT (100% Pallagrello Nero): rustic medium bodied crimson wine
- Il Verro Pallagrello Bianco Terre del Volturno IGT (100% Pallagrello Bianco): good fragrant and balanced white wine
What made this journey to Campania particular is that every one the wines we tasted had been from native autochtonous grape varieties, some well-known to wine lovers like us, like Aglianico, Fiano, Greco, and Falanghina, and others we had by no means tasted earlier than and even heard of. Throughout our journeys to Piemonte and Lombardia, there have been definitely wines from native autochtonous grapes, but additionally many wines from French varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. It might make promoting the wines from Campania on the worldwide markets tougher, nevertheless it definitely makes the wines extra fascinating.
