From: Calabria, Italy
Varietal: Gaglioppo
Taste: You will be charmed and seduced by its unique, smoky amaro and camphor-inflected red and black fruit flavors. the wine is concentrated with flavors of blackberry and blueberry plum, cherry and herbal spice, with a distinctive purple flower overtone. ripe tannins and distinctive, full flavors make this hearty yet easy-to-drink red taste far more expensive than one might expect from the modest price.
Pairing: Stew, roasted lamb, spaghetti with garlic oil and chili, roast guinea fowl with garlic polenta, and roasted Mediterranean vegetables with halloumi. Perfect for fall this Butternut Squash Polenta With Sausage and Onion by Melissa Clark is a must when you decide to pop this bottles cork!
About. The wine is made from 100% gaglioppo, a medium-sized, thick-skinned grape indigenous to southern italy and best known for the production of cirò doc. the grapes come from a vineyard called “franza”, in the municipality of contrada franza. the ownership of the land goes back to the 17th century, and was previously cultivated with olive trees and citrus groves, only becoming a vineyard in 1965. The grapes are organically farmed in a an old vineyard, high up in the hills that was previously cultivated with olive trees and citrus groves.
The soil is clay and sand, with a South/South East exposure and 10 year old vines trained as espaliers. The grapes are de-stemmed, then macerate at 77F until the fermentation is completed. After harvest, the grapes are gently pressed to rein in the tannins then racked and the finished wine rests for about a year in concrete tanks so there's no oak influence at all (minimum of 10 to 12 months). The mouthfeel is plush but the finish is dry.
