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$8.95
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Italy
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Campania
In stock, 12+ available
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List $14.00
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This vibrant Lacryma Christi 2009 Rosso hails from the lava-caked foothills of Mount Vesuvius, just east of the spirited bayside city of Naples. Lovers of Campanese wines already know that the region's mild year-round climate and cool Mediterranean breezes provide ideal growing conditions for its indigenous varietals. This deliciously inexpensive blend is crafted with fruit sourced from Caputo's Enodelta, twenty-five hectares of sun-baked volcanic soil at altitudes of 300-500 meters. Campania's local varietals include the smoky, licorice and berry infused Piedirosso and Aglianico, varietals that are uniquely suited to the volcanic soils of the region. This delightful wine is aged entirely in stainless steel, which allows the subtleties and nuances of the smoky, mineral-driven terroir to come out naturally. The 2009 vintage in southern Italy has been highly lauded by critics and oenophiles alike. This is easily one of the most interesting, well-balanced red quaffers we've come across at this price.
Aromas of red current, cherry, cocoa, tar, licorice, and dusty earth on the nose give way to tobacco leaf and smoky black minerals on the palate. A rustic yet smooth, well-balanced, medium-bodied red with bright acidity. In the glass over time evolve pretty scents of mint, flowers and dried herbs that add complexity and elegance. Perfect with pizza, spicy seafood pasta, or on its own with salumi, antipasti, and hard sheep's milk cheeses. The blend is 65% Piedirosso, 35% Aglianico, all grown in the black lava caked soils of region.
Not reviewed; 2010 vintage rated 87 points by Robert Parker: "The wild strawberry, sweet cherry and damp earth-scented and flavored, fresh, light-bodied 2010 Lacryma di Christi can be drunk slightly chilled (as you would a Beaujolais). Enodelta has fashioned three very good values."
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$185.00
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WA 97
Italy
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Campania
In stock,
1
available
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97+ points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "Galardi’s 2008 Terra di Lavoro is a legend in the making. It is a fabulously ripe, rich and seductive wine endowed with beautifully articulated dark plums, ash, leather, licorice, all of which meld together in an explosive, utterly thrilling display of class and elegance. Clean, mineral notes frame the eternal finish. Today the 2008 is impossibly young and the wine will require considerable patience, but its class, pedigree and potential are all first-rate. Simply put, the 2008 is a monumental Terra di Lavoro. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. (Aug 2010)"
Three Glasses, Gambero Rosso: "Fontana Galardi is a small estate at San Carlo near Sessa Aurunca, situated at about 400 metres on the summit of a cool hill surrounded by olive groves and woods of chestnut and oak. The volcanic and alluvial soil is very deep with a significant component of limestone and shale. These are the origins of the most famous blend of aglianico and piedirosso in Campanian winemaking, a legend thanks to the work of Luisa Murena, Arturo Celentano, Francesco and Dora Catello. It comes more naturally to compare a wine of such distinctive character with its own previous versions than with other Sumpercampanians. Over the years, the Terra di Lavoro '08 seems destined to embody the role of a successful wine that is in many ways atypical and difficult to place. For once the aromas catch you unawares with the undertow of black berry jam more than the distinctive volcanic smokiness, suggesting a transitory phase. This impression is confirmed on the palate which is currently suspended between ripe fruit and austere tannin, but shows unquestionably rich in texture. (2011)"
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$15.95
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Italy
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Campania
In stock,
7
available
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Producer notes: "This well-balanced wine is made from the Piedirosso grape from vineyards in the volcanic area known as the Campi Flegrei, on the coast just north of Naples. It is ruby red in color tending toward burgundy with aging, with an intensive and characteristic fragrance and a harmonious palate impression. It combines well with shellfish, soup, or first or second course meat dishes."
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$23.95
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WA 89
Italy
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Campania
In stock,
4
available
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List $30.00
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89 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "The 2009 Aglianico is a flashy, overt wine packed with fruit. It is perhaps slightly less complex and varietally nuanced than the Lacryma Christi but nearly as pleasing. The estate's Aglianico is a good introduction to this grape. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2017. (Jun 2011)"
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$58.95
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WA 96
Italy
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Campania
In stock, 12+ available
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List $80.00
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This bottling is the wine equivalent of a prima ballerina...graceful yet bold, delicate yet strong. Displaying exceptional poise, this dynamic wine is balance and elegance defined. A new benchmark for the region was established by Montevetrano with the release of their first vintage (1993). Now, the 2010 raises the bar even higher. Renowned winemaker Riccardo Cotarella commented, "Montevetrano became the turning point in my career... a quality wine from Salerno was certainly seen as something of a rarity! The challenge however bore successful results... This wine led me to believe that Italy was not all Piedmont and Tuscany, but a handful of regions with optimum conditions for wine production which, above all, were full of secrets that no one had ever uncovered."
96 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "[$80 list] The 2010 Montevetrano is flat-out gorgeous. Vibrant, floral aromatics lead to layers of beautifully delineated fruit in this finely sculpted chiseled Montevetrano. A wine of extraordinary beauty, the 2010 impresses for its clarity and nuance. I don't think I have ever tasted a young Montevetrano with this much pure silkiness and finesse. There is a level of precision and delineation in the 2010 that is truly marvelous. I can't wait to see how it ages. The 2010 is also notable for a much higher percentage of Aglianico (30%) than has been common in the past, while the international varieties are less prominent in the blend. In 2010 Montevetrano is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Aglianico and 20% Merlot, which means the Cabernet Sauvignon now plays a much smaller role in the blend. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. (Feb 2013)"
Perennial "Tre Bicchieri" Award Winner by Gambero Rosso since 1999.
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$12.95
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WA 89
WE 87
Italy
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Campania
In stock, 12+ available
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List $17.00
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89 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "[$17 list] The 2010 Aglianico is a gorgeous entry-level red loaded with varietal character and nuance. Smoke, incense, tobacco and grilled herbs emerge over time. There is more than enough fruit to fill out the wine’s big, broad-shouldered frame. This juicy, expressive Aglianico also happens to be a great wine for the money. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2016. (Feb 2013)"
87 points and 'Editors' Choice,' Wine Enthusiast: "This bright Aglianico delivers a dark fruit aroma, with touches of rum cake and dusty mineral at the back. The brightness of the acidity will refresh your tastebuds. Alcohol 13%. (Feb 2013)"
Producer notes: "A medium-bodied dense ruby/purple red wine that makes attractive drinking as a young wine. In the glass the wine is a bright dark cherry red with spicy aromas of ripe red berries, violets and a slight gamey character. A young easy to drink style of wine it has soft berry flavors and soft subtle oak characters. It has a delightfully finish. Food pairings: It accompanies traditional Mediterranean dishes including sliced meats, soups and pasta dishes, lasagna, white meats and light main courses."
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$21.95
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Italy
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Campania
In stock, 12+ available
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80% Piedirosso and 20% Aglianico, organically grown: broad reddish-black color; smoky aroma with a hint of tar (notes I often find in red wines grown in volcanic soils); aroma and flavor of black fruit (blackberry, black cherry) and woody herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary); medium-weight but light on its feet. It is aged in puncheons for about a year. Drink now with red meats or cellar.
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