December 19, 2008
Cult Campania, Southern Gems and More
In This Issue
A Note
from Sergio
It’s not unexpected that I feel an
intrinsic affection for the wines of Southern
Italy. After all, I was born in Napoli, the
capital of Campania, and these are the wines
that accompanied my family’s
meals—the delicately fluffy fried
zucchini blossoms, the slices of thick
hand-cut prosciutto, and plates of branzino
roasted whole and seasoned with rosemary. I
left Napoli at six, but I distinctly remember
sneaking the dregs of wine from the
near-empty glasses of my parents and uncles.
In Italy, wine equals culture, and the wines
of Campania, those wild, intense and
distinctly southern wines, nourish me still.
The wines of Italy’s south
are—no question—strange, but
it’s a beautiful strangeness. The
producers of the South possess a profound
connection to the culture of Southern Italy,
and thus they proudly make wines that
don’t fit the paradigms, the customs
and the expectations of Italy’s
northern regions. Moreover, these wines often
are crafted from indigenous grapes that
don’t grow anywhere else: the burly
Aglianico, the intense Piedirosso, the
bright Frappato. Weird, wild, and intense,
the wines of Italy’s south will
surprise, amaze and, possibly, confound
you.
I’m especially pleased to offer you
a selection of some of the South’s best
wines, the wines that epitomize my culture.
I encourage you—or your favorite
been-there-and-drank-that wine lover—to
open a bottle of any one of our featured
wines and taste something new, startling and
beautifully unexpected.
My Best,
Sergio
For more accounts of Italian wine, food, and life reserve
my new book:
Passion
on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart
of Italy.
Campania's Most Famous Wine: Montevetrano
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
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 2005 and 2006 are young, and they
should be cellared now through 2020.
Silvia Imparato 2006
Montevetrano…$89.99
Silvia
Imparato 2006 Montevetrano
(1.5L)…$194.99
Also Available:
Silvia
Imparato 2005
Montevetrano…$85.00
Silvia
Imparato 2005 Montevetrano
(1.5L)…$183.95
Cult Wine of the South
 Terra di Lavoro debuted on the market in 1994
as a modest $30 garage wine that became a
cult sensation. For connoisseurs and
enthusiasts alike, the Lavoro offers one of
the best collector values. At $99, this
wine will age for decades while more
expensive current releases often fail to
offer such potential. Named Terra di Lavoro
because of the vineyard’s rocky and
difficult terrain, this wine is produced by
three enthusiastic cousins. The estate hired
Riccardo Cotarella to craft a wine to honor
the estate’s philosophy of creating a
superior quality wine from two of
Campania’s native grapes. Created from
a careful and intrinsic study of its
component grapes, the Lavoro comprises an
80/20 blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso and
even before its second vintage, this wine was
well on its way to cult status. Its
ascendance parallels Montevetrano as one of
Italy’s most sought-after wines. It
has become increasingly difficult to acquire
as collectors worldwide compete to buy
allotments of this highly limited production
wine that hovers between 300 and 750 cases,
depending on the vintage.
Galardi’s northcoast positioning
marries Aglianico’s notable tannins
with a lush blackberry dimension, a quality
that Terra di Lavoro is renowned for
maximizing. Aged for one year in new French
oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered, a
“textbook” Terra di Lavoro
possesses compelling accessibility upon
release, yet with significant cellar age its
complex layers will continue to fashion a
splendid structure. We recommend considerable
cellaring from 2012-2025.
Galardi
2005 Terra di Lavoro…$99.00
Also Available:
Galardi
2005 Terra di Lavoro
(1.5L)…$245.00
Galardi
2005 Terra di Lavoro
(3.0L)…$499.00
Rare Southern Italian Gems
This sampler is one of a kind for IWM. It
offers a rare and provocative taste of a few
unique and highly sought-after wines from
Italy’s southern landscape, ranging
from Lazio to Sardegna. Boasting diversity
and profound depth, the South broadcasts its
soul in these wines. Traditions and
philosophies take shape in the wine craft,
and producers conscientiously present wines
that are intimately connected to a place. The
collection below lines up an animated
grouping: one about three producers who
create a young, yet storied, cult classic;
another about a producer who uses ancient
aging vessels; and a last about an
iconoclastic Prince and his matchless white
wines.
|
Rare
Southern Italian Gems Six-Bottle
Sampler (incudes one of each from
below): |
Cos 2005 Pithos
(Sicilia—Nero d'Avola, Frappato di
Vittoria)
Elena Fucci 2005 Aglianico
Titolo
(Basilicata—Aglianico)
Contini 2001 Barrile
(Sardegna—Nieddera,
Caddiu)
|
|
Silvia Imparato 2006
Montevetrano
(Campania—Cab. Sauvignon,
Merlot, Aglianico)
Galardi 2005 Terra di Lavoro
(Campania—Aglianico,Piedirosso)
Fiorano 1988 Sèmillon Botte
47
(Lazio—Sèmillon)
|
Rare
Southern Gems…$511.78
$435.01** (Special Holiday Case
Price)
|
Cos
2005
Pithos…$44.55
(Sicilia—Nero d'Avola, Frappato di
Vittoria)
A traditional Cerasuolo blend of two Sicilian
native varietals: Nero d’Avola and
Frappato. Each grape offers a unique
temperament—the Nero brings a more gutsy
tannic structure and a tarry profile, while
the Frappato delivers good acidity and bright
red, almost strawberry-like fruit. The
producers are a trio of friends whose
surname’s first letters creates the
COS shorthand. As a group, they raise the bar
on uniqueness by taking a page from
Sicilia’s early vinous playbook.
Vinifying the wine in Pithos, this storage
pot, or amphora, fashions a sauvage,
indelibly funky interpretation of the blend.
This wine is maturing now through 2010.
Elena
Fucci 2005 Aglianico
Titolo…$54.99
(Basilicata—Aglianico)
Fucci is a three-generation family operation,
from octogenarian Generoso to son Salvatore
and the his daughter Elena. Aglianico,
a noble grape with an ancient pedigree,
thrives in layers of black volcanic ash and
lava soil produced by the now extinct Mount
Vulture volcano. This landmark site lends
its name to Basilicata’s most important
viticultural zone—Vulture DOC. This
geological makeup provides ideal moisture and
drainage for growing conditions and is the
source of Aglianico’s hallmark
concentration and minerality. Titolo
displays broad, full-bodied power, with ample
cassis and black cherry minerality. A
lengthy tenure in the cellar should see
maturing from 2008-2017.
Contini
2001
Barrile…$74.25
(Sardegna—Nieddera,
Caddiu)
Barrile is an homage to Nieddera, a grape
that Contini rescued from imminent
extinction. For most Sardegnian wine
producers, Nieddera makes a great grape to
have in a blend. As such, it’s the
grape you call on when you want to embellish
upon Sardegna’s main red, Cannonau.
Contini, however, has always regarded
Nieddera as single-varietal material, and
Barrile (with a small contribution from a
grape called Caddiu) establishes why. In a
seductive tension, the wine’s
prodigious structure somehow carries equal
weight with its provocative opulence,
establishing a seamless proportion that
delivers well-crafted richness and a
controlled delivery of intense dark fruits,
tobacco, and minerality. This wine is just
beginning to show some maturing. Cellaring
can continue through 2018.
Silvia
Imparato 2006
Montevetrano…$89.99
(Campania—Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Aglianico)
Montevetrano is a stunning, limited
production wine, comprised of 60% Cabernet,
30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico. It’s
sourced from a 4-acre vineyard and is the
recipient of the wine industry’s most
distinguished accolades. Dubbed the
“Sassicaia of the South,” the
2006 Montevetrano presents an inky garnet
hue, and offers up aromas of black and blue
fruits. Cracked black pepper and savory dark
berries hug the palate, coating it with
finely-grained tannins and silky smooth
finish. Cellaring should commence now
through 2020.
Galardi
2005 Terra di
Lavoro…$99.00
(Campania—Aglianico,Piedirosso)
A blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso are
grown in volcanic soils at 1,300 feet above
sea level, and thoughtfully harvested and
then blended at 80% Aglianico and 20%
Piedirosso. After fermentation, the wine was
aged in new Allier and Nevers barriques for
12 months. The Lavoro embodies how Aglianico
and Piedirosso can show their stunning
potential. Deep purple emanates from the
glass while a smoky, earthy nose eases into
scents redolent of tobacco, lead pencil and
graphite. The palate spotlights black
cherries, more tobacco and leather.
It’s a big, full-bodied wine with
decidedly resolute tannins that ensure
cellar-aging from 2012-2025.
Fiorano
1988 Sèmillon Botte
47…$149.00
(Lazio—Sèmillon)
This
is Italy’s rarest white.
The 1988 clearly illustrates the
Prince’s prediction that his wine
would age for 20 or more years. It also shows
how this 20-year-old wine, the oldest in our
offering, is paradoxically the youngest,
oldest white you will try. From the vibrant
gold hue to the rich-range of aromatics, it
presents an incredible complexity, and a
highly uncommon experience in the world of
white wine as a whole. Ever evolving from sip
to sip, the wine’s candied fruits
reach out on the bright palate, but so do its
earth components, such as minerals and
resin. The wine is reaching maturity but can
be cellared through 2016.
**Free delivery in
Manhattan also includes a special map of
Italy gift box.
**Holiday pricing only good on gift
pack.
IWM Gift Cards
Looking for the perfect gift? The IWM gift
card is an ideal gift solution for the
budding wine enthusiast or the seasoned
collector. What better way to give more? Give and IWM
Gift Card and you will give the recipient freedom to select from
IWM's extensive portfolio of wines,
accessories and books, and to create an ideal
experience. The card is presented in a gift box with a
personalized card—a thoughtful gift that
makes a lasting impression.
Click to purchase a gift card.
December Tasting Events
Taste the Holidays at IWM
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 1:00-3:00
P.M. $25.00
A Taste of Celebratory Sparklers
Saturday, December 27, 2008 1:00-3:00
P.M. $50.00
A Taste of Toscana: Chianti to Vin
Santo
Saturday, January 3, 2009 1:00-3:00
P.M. $65.00
To learn more about IWM’s Studio Regionale
Saturday Tasting Series, or to make
a reservation over the phone, contact Maryellen
Philipps at 212.473.2323, x129.
.
News from Italy
For Italian wine followers wanting to stay in
the know, we’ve launched a Daily
Wine News section that dials you into the
latest news, trends, innovations, and
often bold new projects of our producer
friends in Italy. It’s a window into the
past, present, and future of all things
Italian wine. Written from a local perspective,
these articles offer a daily dose of snippets
from the world of Italian food and
wine that we think you will enjoy.
2008 Holiday Catalog
We’re not returning to the same holiday terroir that you’re accustomed to. Rather, we’re going to show you the finest of IWM–our classic wine offerings featuring significant producers and programs that have redefined the wine-tasting genre. Our working philosophy at IWM continues to evolve even as it retains Sergio’s pre-eminent challenge to present to our clients "Italian wines as they’ve never been presented before." With our robust on-line wine shop, interactive Cellar Management and exclusive events suite, we’re working to surprise you, our IWM clients, with the very best wines–better, faster, and more easily than ever before.
Holiday
Catalogue/Downloadable PDF
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