February
3, 2007
Campania:
Modern Ancient Glory
In This Issue
A Note
from Sergio
I spent the last week in Italy, driving through Piemonte
and Toscana. As always, I hit up as many wineries as possible to taste from
barrel and bottle. When I wasn't traipsing down to cellars, I was at a table-in
a winemaker's home or his favorite restaurant-eating regional specialties.
But after seven days drinking the most prestigious wines in the country,
I wanted to drink something totally different, and I wanted also-after so
many business meetings-to see my Neapolitan family. So I headed down to
Campania, one of Italy's finest and most overlooked wine regions.
I met my cousins Anna, Daniela, and Arturo in Caserta, and followed them down country roads and then into the forlorn city of Capua, its ancient stone borgos covered in graffiti. We went deeper into the center to Ninfeo, their favorite restaurant, a bright spot on a dark residential block. The owner, a rotund fellow named Antonio Leonelli and his son, greeted us at the door and ushered us to our table, where they poured us white sparkling spumante. It was a slow night and they were itching to cook up a big meal. We dipped our bread in strong local olive oil and waited.
First came platters of antipasto-a tomato bruschetta over
roasted mortadella; folds of prosciutto; a large white scallop
shell filled with slices of sepia, raw scallions, crunchy
peppers, rucola, and radicchio; two balls of milky bufala
mozzarella breaded, fried, and topped with soft ricotta and
tomato sauce; and deep, fatty slabs of wild boar sausage.
Then came plates of thick pappardelle pasta mixed with pheasant
ragout. Soon after, a silver dish of short ribs in sweet
tomato sauce, and soffritto, that classic Campanian mixture
of savage-tasting pork innards and spicy tomato sauce. With
it all we drank Luigi Moio Primitivo, Mastroberardino Naturalis
Historia, Galardi Terra di Lavoro. Finally, Antonio served
us a plate of bufala milk cheese-soft, white, salty young
pieces and yellow, tart, crumbly aged pieces. For dessert,
we shared profiteroles and Torta Caprese and a bottle of
sparkling Asprinio Bianco. As I made the sleepy two-hour
drive back to Rome the next morning, I mentally indexed my
cantina, thinking of all the great Campanian wines I had
stored there.
When most people think of Campanian food, they think of the fish of the Amalfi,
but there exists also a richer, meatier internal cuisine.
And when most people think of Campanian wine, they think
of second-rate drinks, but there are also prime interpretations
of the ancient Aglianico grape. Campania is a wine country
that churns out some spectacular products, and that, in my
opinion, will only rise up in the years to come. More important,
drinking Campanian wines necessarily widens your concept
of Italian wines. Just as you can't understand Italy by only
visiting Florence and Milan, you can't comprehend Italian
wines in all their glory by drinking only Barolo and Brunello.
Today, I'm offering a few wines from this excellent and often-overlooked region.
The Galardi and Montevetrano are newcomers that each entered
the market less than a decade ago and swept everyone away.
The Mastroberardino is the region's oldest and most classic
wine, once again consistently superb after some bumpy years.
But new or old, each is imbued with what makes a wine truly
valuable: a sense of the place, a place which, in this case,
is so bursting with life that it's referred to by all Italians
as Campania felix, or "the joyous land."
My Best,
Sergio
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Campania's
Cult Gems
 Campania's
Cult Gems
A surprising number of cult wines issue from Campania, particularly
given its relatively brief presence on the contemporary wine
scene. Two producers— Fattoria Galardi and Silvia Imparato—operate
at the head of the hard-to-get list, and the likeness between
the two stories suggests that Campania operates a paradigm
for cult success. Both constitute one-wine portfolios and
involve Riccardo Cotarella’s (in Umbria: Falesco, Lamborghini,
and Villa Fidelia; in Sicilia, Morgante; and in Emilia-Romagna,
San Patrignano) conceptual and viticultural guidance. Moreover,
each enjoyed recognition early in its respective career—virtually
starting at the top as opposed to ascending over a few vintages,
despite beginning as a casual enterprise. Montevetrano, in
fact, was accorded the esteemed moniker “Sassicaia
of the South,” a comparison that is not merely fanciful,
as both Montevetrano and its eminent likeness go outside
their respective zone’s standard varietal composition.
Silvia Imparato Montevetrano
While indigenous grapes are at the forefront of Campania’s
contemporary viticultural scene, plantings of Cabernet and
Merlot are increasing, and it is in this area that Lavoro
and Montevetrano finally part company. The Montevetrano comprises
Cabernet and Merlot, with the former constituting 60% and
the latter, 30%; Aglianico realizes a fairly minor role at
10%. Avidly sought by collectors around the world, this limited
production wine, sourced from a 4-acre vineyard, is the recipient
of the wine industry’s most distinguished accolades.
While the wine debuted on the market in 1993, it was first
produced in 1991—exclusively for the friends of Silvia
Imparato. This premiere bottling was comprised of Cabernet
Sauvignon (70%) and Aglianico (30%), and Cotarella credits
the experience with marking a turning point in his career,
as it exposed him to Campania’s potential. Evidencing
little substantive variation from vintage to vintage, Montevetrano
consistently delivers a profile marked by concentrated flavors
of blueberry and black raspberry, as well as striking purity.
Despite its rich character, it is elegant on the palate,
providing beautifully integrated tannin, acidity, and oak.
The 2004 bottling demands cellaring.
Silvia Imparato 2004
Montevetrano $79.97*
Silvia Imparato 2004 Montevetrano $199.97 (1.5L)*
Silvia Imparato 1996 Montevetrano $146.42*
Silvia Imparato 1995 Montevetrano $156.28*
Silvia Imparato 1994 Montevetrano $156.28*
*Wine sold as future arrival.
Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro
Galardi’s Terra di Lavoro (meaning “the
land of labor”)—originated as the hobby of three
cousins—belying its status as a collector’s gem.
Crafted by famed wine consultant Riccardo Cotarella since
its inception in 1994, IWM regards this 80/20 blend of Aglianico
and Piedirosso as one of southern Italy’s most significant
bottlings and one of Campania’s most consistent performers.
Frequent partners in a few of Campania’s DOCs, Aglianico
and Piedirosso used to work together in Taurasi—prior
to the establishment of DOC regulations requiring Taurasi
to be pure Aglianico. Softer in tannins than the Aglianico
grape, Piedirosso heightens the wine’s acidity and
imparts a savory quality as well as wild berry fruit. Bottled
unfined and unfiltered, Terra di Lavoro offers a deep purple
color and a complex bouquet of smoke and earth, dark fruit,
tobacco, and leather. The palate delivers a similar profile,
accented by spices and minerals. It is full-bodied, with
dense tannins and an impressively long, silky finish. Given
that case production is just slightly over 800, it is a very
difficult wine to obtain. As with the Montevetrano, one's
experience with the Terra di Lavoro will be rewarded after
a cellaring period.
Fattoria Galardi 2004
Terra di Lavoro $119.97*
Fattoria Galardi 2003 Terra di Lavoro $139.97*
Fattoria Galardi 2002 Terra di Lavoro $119.97*
*Wine sold as future arrival.
Pioneers
of the South
 Pioneers
of the South
While the cult wines profiled below may be somewhat more
attainable than the revered pair of Montevetrano and Terra
di Lavoro, they nevertheless reflect their producers’ valuation
and consummate rendering of Campania’s ancient varietals.
Each is devoted, in fact, to celebrating and illuminating
the innate potential of this region’s native vinous
life, offering productions that are more approachable in
both style and price than their elite counterparts. This
is seen in particular with the work of de Conciliis, who
produces wines outside Campania’s prime viticultural
zones in the relatively unknown Cilento, establishing that
Campania’s grapes may be vinified in a range of styles.
De Conciliis’ Aglianicos display a greater concentration
of fruit and a richer character than those produced in Avellino. Naima, the
signature wine of the estate (an homage to John Coltrane's
song of the same name), is a pure Aglianico aged in French barrique for
a period of 12 months.
Giuseppe Mancini and Alberto Barletta of Vestini Campagnano
focus their vinous efforts exclusively on the ancient Pallagrello
and Casavecchia varieties. In fact, Vestini was the first
winery to institute a research program dedicated to the study
of Pallagrello and Casavecchia, both of which went missing
for hundreds of years and were quite nearly lost altogether.
Aged for a little over two years in barrique, Connubio (which
signifies “marriage” in Latin) blends Vestini’s
varietal pair—Casavecchia and Pallagrello Nero. It
is a massive wine, offering intense flavors of blackberry,
tar, chocolate, and a mélange of spices.
A discussion of Campania’s cults would not be complete
without mention of Mastroberardino, the producer who is solely
responsible for salvaging several of Campania’s ancient
grapes. Mastroberardino pays tribute to Pliny’s Naturalis
Historia in its eponymous bottling, a blend of Aglianico
(85%) and Piedirosso (15%). Carlo Mastroberardino believes
that Piedirosso imparts a sweetness to the wine that is mediated
by the structure afforded by Aglianico.
De Conciliis 2003 Naima $66.00
De Conciliis 2003 Naima $132.00(1.5L)
Vestini Campagnano 2002 Connubio $111.38
Mastroberardino 2001 Naturalis Historia $51.70
The
Nebbiolo and Barolo of the South
Aglianico and Taurasi—The Royal
Pride of Campania
The noblest grape of southern Italy is Aglianico. While
it is also cultivated in Puglia and Sicilia, it reaches
its pinnacle in the regions of Campania (Aglianico
del Taburno, Sannio Aglianico, Solopaca Aglianico, Benevento
Aglianico, and Taurasi) and Basilicata (Aglianico
del Vulture). The centuries-old Aglianico grape most
likely derives its name from Ellenico or Hellenico, indicating
that the Greeks brought the grape to the Italic peninsula
as early as 700 B.C. Of all the indigenous obscurities
inhabiting the Boot, Aglianico has proven to be the most
successful. Campania’s celebrated climate, volcanic
soils, and high elevation all provide the perfect context
for a late-ripening grape that projects black fruit, spice,
and minerals. In the Taurasi zone, the grape realizes the
pinnacle of its expression, captured in the moniker Barolo
of the South. At their best, Aglianico-based wines
are dry, well structured, powerful, and tannic reds with
discernible acidity and the ability to age. They may also
be produced in a more subtle and youthful, fruit-driven
style.
Mastroberardino’s 2001 Taurasi Radici quite possibly
constitutes the best value among IWM’s ’01
offerings, achieving impeccable balance between its sophisticated
structure and classic Taurasi profile of dark fruit, ash,
and minerality. While drinking exceptionally well at present,
the flavors will deepen with a few years of bottle age,
delivering a mature character marked by highlights of licorice
and tar. Mastroberardino’s Irpinia bottling and Villa
Carafa’s Sannio offer a softer, more accessible style
characteristic of Aglianico produced at lower altitudes.
Cantina del Taburno 2003 Aglianico Fidelis $14.30
Mastroberardino 2003 Aglianico Irpinia $20.90
Villa Carafa 2003 Aglianico Sannio $14.70
Mastroberardino 2001 Taurasi Radici $38.50
Antique
Reds
 Explosive
Casavecchia (“old house”)
At the turn of the 20th century, it is said that a massive
grandfather vine with a trunk measuring a yard in diameter
remained nestled at the foot of an old stone farmhouse. A
figure of strength, the vine stood tall, overriding the disease
and phylloxera that plagued southern Italy. If not for the
discovery of this vine, Casavecchia would likely have been
rendered extinct. With support from Luigi Veronelli (one
of Italy's leading food and wine critics), the grape was
officially recognized in 2002 and has since received much
attention for its distinctive flavors of dark berries and
leather, and powerful, fleshy character. Rhône-like
in style, Villa Carafa's version displays a soft and round
quality. On the palate, however, it projects the mineral
flavors of Aglianico. Vestini Campagnano offers a concentrated
barrique-aged example possessing the capacity for further
aging.
Villa Carafa 2003 Casavecchia $22.37
Vestini Campagnano 2001 Casavecchia $66.90
Pallagrello Nero—Fit for a King
While its white sibling—Pallagrello Bianco—delivers
a fairly simple and restrained flavor profile, Nero is a
demonstrative personality, offering a pronounced fruit extract,
wild gaminess, and assertive tannins. It constitutes a principal
focus of Vestini Campagnano, a producer that is dedicated
exclusively to the Casavecchia and Pallagrello varieties.
This is another massive Campanian red, a muscular bottling
held within a taut structure. Pallagrello Nero was the favored
wine of Bourbon King Ferdinando IV.
Vestini Campagnano 2002 Pallagrello Nero $71.50
Lacryma Christi—Mythical Tears
Lacryma Christi, or Christ's tears, is perhaps the
most mythical of all wines. The three grape varietals
comprising this wine—Aglianico, Sciascinoso, and Piedirosso—derive
from the volcanic soil on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. According
to Italian legend, when Lucifer was cast from Paradise, he
managed to take a piece of heaven with him. As the fallen
angel descended, the stolen bit of heaven dropped into the
Gulf of Naples. The Lord wept and his tears fell upon the
earth between Vesuvius and Sorrento, precipitating the growth
of vines. This wine represents the softest and most approachable
of our selected antique reds.
Mastroberardino 2004 Lacryma Christi $20.90
Antique Whites
 Fiano—The
Aristocrat
While Fiano features in several DOC and IGT wines, it is
widely considered to achieve its apex in the Fiano di Avellino
DOCG, which was established in 2003. This recognition largely
derived from the efforts of Antonio and Walter Mastroberardino,
who are credited with having saved the grape following its
near-devastation by phylloxera in the 1930s. The brothers
propagated a few remaining vines in the 1950s under the Mastroberardino
label, serving as the only quality producer of Fiano until
the early 1990s. Piero Mastroberardino, current president
of the estate, believes that Fiano should be cultivated in
mountainous sites, a view that stands in opposition to the
coastal productions of producers such as de Conciliis. The
intrigue of this grape derives from its aromatic profile,
which offers riveting scents of pine nut and herb. Depending
on where it is grown, it may also deliver hazelnut and a
slight smokiness.
Vuolo 2004 Fiano $22.57
Falanghina—Poetic Muse
With regard to the grape’s profile, Falanghina operates
in the space between Fiano and Greco di Tufo. That character,
marked by the piney aromatics of Fiano and the fruity quality
of Greco, was frequently diminished, as modern-day productions
confined it to fairly generic blends. In recent years, however,
it has enjoyed monovarietal representation, precipitated
by the resurrection of the famous Falerno wine (crafted by
Bacchus), which afforded Falanghina exclusive representation
and the praise of the Roman poets. Producers representing
a number of Campania’s delimited zones craft single-varietal
bottlings of Falanghina, and while each interpretation reflects
variations in soil and climate, many capture the grape’s
trademark acidity and pear flavors.
Vesevo 2004 Falanghina $14.85
Villa Carafa 2003 Falanghina $14.36
Fattoria La Rivolta 2003 Falanghina $20.64
Pallagrello Bianco—Royal Returns
Often confused with another obscure varietal, Coda di
Volpe, Pallagrello Bianco is one of only a few Italian
grapes to derive from a vine that produces both white and
black grapes, and the varietal is thought to be a relation
of the Pilleolata grape. Esteemed by the Bourbon kings, who
featured it in a special vineyard dedicated to the 12 most
significant varieties of their kingdom, it is finding itself
again in the Terre del Volturno IGT zone. Two notable producers
are Vestini Campagnano and Terre del Principe, the latter
of which discovered a few prephylloxera Pallagrello vines.
Vestini Campagnano 2004 Pallagrello Bianco $41.80
Campanian Wine Samplers
 For
one with such a brief career as a known entity in the modern
wine realm, Campania is extremely accomplished. Foremost
among its achievements is the impact it has had on Italy’s
overall viticultural values. Over the past several years,
many Italian winemakers have styled their wines to appeal
to a modern audience, foregoing the distinctive identity
of Italian wines. Campania, through its ancient varietals,
has done much to bring Italy back to itself, inspiring many
regions to undertake efforts to find or pay attention to
their own “lost” native varieties.
Moreover, while many of Campania’s indigenous grapes
remain unknown to a large audience, Aglianico has cultivated
a notable presence among wine enthusiasts worldwide, particularly
under the Taurasi DOCG, which is regarded as its foremost
expression. Campania also enjoys the enviable distinction
of being home to a significant number of cult wines, many
of which began as “garage” wines—the expression
of individual passion. Indeed, such an admirable orientation
defines Campania as a whole.
Discover this spirit in our special Campanian Wine Samplers,
which include the famed Taurasi of Mastroberardino, the producer
whose varietal rescue efforts quite literally account for
Campania’s present; Vestini’s work with the royal
Pallagrello Nero, an animale red; and Villa Carafa’s
expression of Casavecchia, a true survivor.
Includes:
De Lucia 2005 Falanghina Ginestre
Vesevo 2004 Fiano di Avellino
Cantina del Taburno 2003 Aglianico Fidelis
Vestini Campagnano 2002 Pallagrello Bianco
Vestini Campagnano 2002 Pallagrello Nero
Mastroberardino 2001 Taurasi Radici
Campanian Wine Six Pack...$198.15
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