Campania (Italy) is a hot region at the moment thanks to the deep, structured wines from Aglianico, juicy reds from Piedirosso, and a slew of unique white grapes. It’s one of those rare regions in the world that makes both whites and reds of all levels.

Tenuta Cavalier Pepe produces around 450,000 bottles from over 60 hectares of vineyards. Angelo and his daughter Milena craft wines from the grapes of Aglianico, Coda di Volpe, Greco, Fiano, and Falanghina. It’s a winery that I had seen around but had never tasted until Grapevine Adventures introduced them to me.

I was pleasantly taken back by all of the wines. The whites have a spine of acidity, the Santa Vara is possibly the finest Falanghina I’ve tasted. Many Aglianicos can be overripe, pruney, and oaky. These reds from Tenuta Cavalier Pepe are the opposite, they play more on the red fruit spectrum – which hits my palate perfectly.

Personally, I’d like to see different labels on the bottles but don’t let that deter you, there’s serious juice inside.

• Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Nestor’ Greco di Tufo 2019

The Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Nestor’ is 100% Greco with an explosive nose. Notes of green apple, white flower, pear, and a touch of white pepper. For a fresh white, there is plenty to love here. There’s a good balance of fruit, minerals, and zestiness. Clean and crisp with a slightly spicy finish. Give me this with some baked white fish all day. Score: 89/100

• Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Santa Vara’ Irpinia Falanghina 2018

The Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Santa Vara’ is a single-vineyard Falanghina that is barrel fermented. The wood integration here is fantastic. Notes of baked apple, white peach, yogurt, and a touch of spice from the barrel. This is an impressive take on this grape. There’s plenty of white fruit but it’s the electricity and spine of acidity that keeps this wine interesting. The barrel just adds a hint of flavor, nothing more. Long and salty finish. This is the most exciting Falanghina that I’ve ever tasted. Score: 92+/100

• Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Brancato’ Fiano di Avellino 2017

The Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Brancato’ is Fiano fermented in both stainless steel and wood. It’s got just the right amount of bottle development now. Notes of basil, lime, white grapefruit, and a touch of natural gas with a hint of baking spice from the barrel. It’s tangy on the palate as the wood doesn’t dominate. A medium-bodied white that finishes as if you had a bowl of grapefruit salad with crushed rocks as the seasoning. Score: 90/100

• Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Santo Stefano’ Irpinia Campi Taurasini 2015

The Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Santo Stefano’ Irpinia Campi Taurasini is Aglianico that was aged in both the barrel and concrete before being released. It’s a clean take on this grape with notes of sour cherry, rose petal, mocha, and black pepper. More medium-bodied and suave than full and jammy. This has plenty of complexity on the palate. It doesn’t show a ton of aged notes and should improve even more with time. Chewy tannins and a long finish. Score: 92+/100

• Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Opera Mia’ Taurasi 2014

The Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘Opera Mia’ Taurasi is 100% Aglianico that’s aged in wood and concrete before bottling. Gorgeous nose of cinnamon, cherry, black licorice, meat, and pepper. The palate is just gorgeous. The fruit and other complexities come together perfectly. This is a full-bodied red but it isn’t huge and jammy, there’s plenty of refinement for a South Italian red. Big, chewy tannins add grip and guide the long finish. This should improve beautifully with time in the bottle. Score: 93+/100

• Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘La Loggia del Cavaliere’ Taurasi Riserva 2013

The Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, ‘La Loggia del Cavaliere’ Taurasi Riserva is 100% Aglianico aged in wood and stainless steel. Notes of black cherry, licorice, meat, black pepper, and sweet cedar. The palate is much more fruiter than the nose. There is a rush of fruit and cherry juice-like acidity. The tannins are still pretty firm here, which suggests the wine will last a long time in the bottle. If you want to have it now, make sure to have some grilled meat nearby. Otherwise, put this in the cellar and watch the magic happen. Score: 94/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

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Tenuta Cavalier Pepe provided tasting samples. The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Tenuta Cavalier Pepe: Volcanic Wines With Flair appeared first on Wine Travel.

Volcanic wines are hot right now, thanks to enthusiastic sommeliers and Master of Wine, John Szabo. Italy is full of volcanic regions both in the north and south. In the south, one of these trending regions lies on the foothills of Mt. Vesuvius.

Campania, Italy is home to several volcanic appellations like Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, Taburno, Irpinia, and Taurasi. White grapes like Greco, Fiano, and Falanghina in addition to the red wine grape Aglianico are the big stars here. Many producers in Camapnia, like Agricola Bellaria, work with all of the grapes

Agricola Bellaria is a relatively young winery and proprietor Antonio Pepe wants to focus on Aglianico moving forward. He does acknowledge how special the white grape Fiano can be. “Fiano di Avellino is a wine that shows best after two years in the bottle and if it is well-produced, can evolve over the course of 15 years,” he says.

Fiano is possibly my favorite Italian white grape and this effort from Bellaria doesn’t disappoint. I expect light floral aromas and intense mineral notes from the grape, which Bellaria delivers. Their Taurasi is also a present surprise with its core of dark fruit flavors. Here’s a look at my favorites from this set of current releases.

• Agricola Bellaria, ‘Oltre’ Greco di Tufo 2017

The Bellaria, ‘Oltre’ Greco di Tufo is a fresh Greco that saw only stainless steel. This has unique notes of pine, roasted almond, white peach, and a smoky, mineral flavor. This tastes like a volcanic wine through and through. Don’t think bright fruit, think soil, chalk, and even campfire-like flavors. Crispy acidity. This with fresh oysters would be a perfect pairing. Score: 88/100

• Agricola Bellaria, ‘Gold’ Fiano di Avellino 2018

I believe that Fiano is one of Italy’s finest white grapes. The Bellaria, ‘Gold’ Fiano di Avellino saw only stainless steel. Gorgeous notes of white flower, white peach, white pineapple, and a touch of starfruit. On the nose, I would expect a fruity white. The palate delivers a different experience. The wine almost tastes like a bowl of fruit salad mixed with crushed rocks from a local quarry. On the back end, there is an interesting interplay between the lemony acidity and mineral flavors. It’s complex and thought-provoking, not your normal fresh white. Score: 90+/100

• Agricola Bellaria, Taurasi 2012

The Bellaria, Taurasi is 100% Aglianico aged in wood for 12 months. This dark wine has a fantastic nose of dried cherry, plum, cedar, violets, and pepper. It still tastes younger than the vintage would suggest. It doesn’t have the tarry notes I would want in aged Aglianico but the palate is pretty with a good balance of fruit and savory notes. The acidity is high and the tannins here are big, so more time in the bottle would suit it well. Check back in on this in ten years. Score: 91+/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

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Agricola Bellaria provided tasting samples. The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Volcanic Wine From Agricola Bellaria appeared first on Wine Travel.

In the summer of 2018, we attended the 25th annual Radici del Sud held in Puglia, Italy. The media program consisted of a wine competition, walkabout tasting, and a series of field trips. You can check out the events in the videos below.

Radici del Sud: Roots of the South

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks:

During the course of the week, we had a chance to taste several hundred wines. Here are the ones that stood out to us.

You can find out more about our scoring system on the Wine Rating page.

• Sertura, Greco di Tufo 2014

On the first evening of Radici del Sud, we took part in a vertical tasting (2009 and 2013-2017) of Sertura Greco di Tufo. This was my (Matt) favorite wine from the tasting.

This has an intriguing nose of herbs, dried pineapple, and white flower. This Campanian wine is complex with a chamomile flavor on the mid-palate and a touch of spiciness. The acidity isn’t as pronounced as the other vintages but the wine is complete.   4.2/5

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• Sertura, Greco di Tufo 2009

The grapes are grown on volcanic soil at 300-600 meters above sea level, a set-up that allegedly enhances the ‘sapidity’ of the wine. The high diurnal temperature range helps to retain freshness in the grapes. Tasting through the six vintages, I notice that a few vintages express overripe fruit flavors (but not bruised or oxidized), which offers a sense of sweetness on the nose. The younger wines are unctuous with a lemon-like acidity. All the wines show a good mix of acidity and tannins on the end-palate, offering refreshing astringency on the finish. Moving to the older wines, they gain fullness and harmony in the mouth and a hint of honey on the nose.

Oddly, 2014 (Matt’s favorite) is my (Charine) least favorite and 2009 is the one that stood out to me. Sertura’s Greco di Tudo 2009 shows fullness and expressiveness in the mouth. It has a slightly bitter finish, backed by acidity that gives a sense of freshness. The finish really wins me over: lemony-tinted long finish with a hint of petroleum and spice. The bouquet is dominated by tertiary notes, enlivened by a floral, vanilla sweetness.   4.2/5

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• Coppi, Senatore Primitivo 2001

On the second evening of Radici del Sud, we tasted several vintages of Coppi Senatore Primitivo including 2011, 2010, 2008, and 2001. It’s made within the limits of Gioia del Colle in Puglia. The Coppi Senatore Primitivo is the flagship bottling of the estate. It’s aged in large casks and several years in bottle before release. The 2001 vintage has flavors of baked red fruit, Mediterranean brush, and brown sugar.  Its medium-bodied frame is supported by aged notes and resolved tannins.   4.0/5

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• Cantina Moros, Salice Salentino Riserva 2015

Cantina Moros is one of the three properties of Claudio Quarta. This cantina produces only one wine: a Salice Salentino Riserva. It’s one of Salento’s most celebrated red wines. This effort has room to develop and will continue to evolve. Full of dark berries, Mediterranean herbs, graphite, and sweet cedar. Its concentration is framed by good wood integration. The Cantina Moros’s Salice Salentino Riserva 2015 needs a few more years for all to melt together and to reveal a new level of gloriousness.   4.2/5

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• Cantina Sanpaolo, Greco di Tufo 2014

Located in Campania, Sanpaolo is one of Claudio Quarta’s properties. The Cantina Sanpaolo’s Greco di Tufo 2014 is a fabulous wine. Full of bright citrus, peach, and pineapple flavors. It shines with a mineral drive and a long finish.   4.2/5

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• Coppola, Doxi Alezio DOC 2015

The Alezio DOC is a small denomination in Lecce, Puglia, and Coppola is the only property working in this DOC. The wines of Alezio comprise of rosé, red, and riserva (with at least two years of aging) made from the grapes Negroamaro, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and Malvasia Nera. The Alezio DOC is only 150 meters away from the sea; winemakers believe that this close distance enhances a wine’s ‘sapidity’, especially in dryer vintages. The soil type here is predominantly terra rossa with some fossil, clay, and sand.

According to the proprietors of Coppola, Negroamaro expresses Alezio’s warm climate, not through cooked fruit flavors but, through its tannic strength. To make a balanced Negroamaro wine, the proprietors focus on shielding the grapes from the sun and have yet to experience a vintage where they struggle with losing excessive acidity or gaining too much sugar in the grapes.

Made with Negroamaro, the Coppola Doxi Alezio is the reserve wine of Coppola. It has cherry, pepper, tobacco, and cedar notes. Medium bodied and juicy with good oak integration and soft tannins. The Coppola’s Doxi Alezio DOC 2015 is easy to drink and boasts a good QPR.   4.1/5

• Garofano, Girofle Rosé 2011

Garofano is one of the most popular names in Puglia. We visited the estate and took part in a vertical of Girofle Rosé, which is made from Negroamaro grapes of younger vines (about 12 years old) planted in the Copertino DOC. The vintages tasted were 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2011.

Through the vertical tasting, we learned that

• The Garofano’s Girofle Rosé always has around 13% ABV.
• The color of Garofano’s Girofle Rosé stabilizes after the first year—besides 2017, all the wines are in a similar shade of copper.
• There are a few consistent characteristics in all of the vintages: bitter grapefruit finish, astringent freshness, a hint of Mediterranean herb flavor, and a jasmine flower undertone. These rosés taste fuller with bigger shoulders and without the usual lemony, limey freshness that can be found in typical rosé wines. 
• These wines need time to open up as the flavors are so compact and complex. The older vintages express pronounced overripe stone fruit and honey wax flavors that calm down with aeration.

The Garofano’s Girofle Rosé 2011 is amber in color—almost like a macerated Pinot Grigio. The complex bouquet unfolds into notes of nuts, forest floor, mushroom, and fall leaf. This is earthy and fruity at the same time with a spicy finish. It’s a delicious wine with complexity and nuances, which sort of reminds us of an aged Riesling.   4.2/5

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• Duca Carlo Guarini, Nativo Negroamaro 2016

Duca Carlo Guarini is another one of the big names in Puglia. They own vineyards on the eastern side of the Salento peninsula and focus on local varieties. The Duca Carlo Guarini Nativo is a Negroamaro that doesn’t see oak. It’s juicy and full of red fruit flavors. The low level of tannins and moderate alcohol make this wine enjoyable and easy to drink.   4.0/5

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• Duca Carlo Guarini, Malia Malvasia Nera 2015

The Malvasia Nera from Duca Carlo Guarini is one of the winery’s staple red wines. This is one of the better examples of Malvasia Nera that we’ve tasted. It’s medium bodied with a lot of texture. This easy-drinking wine expresses notes of dark fruit, black tea, and flowers. It has a low level of tannins.  4.0/5

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• San Marzano, Edda 2016

San Marzano is a large co-op on the Salento peninsula. It’s one of the region’s big players. A blend of Chardonnay, Moscatello Selvatico, and Fiano from clay-soil vineyards, the Edda is their premium white wine. The wine was aged for around four months in American and French, new and old oak barrels. We tasted three vintages (2017, 2016, and 2015) of this wine, and this was our favorite because of its harmony. It’s also the least resinous and least viscous of the three. The San Marzano’s Edda 2016 shows flavors of dandelion, honey, tropical fruit, and a touch of petrol. 2016 is lighter on its feet than 2017 and more fruity than 2015. The Chardonnay’s structure and long finish of sweet oak make this wine a winner.   4.2/5

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• San Marzano, 11 Filari Primitivo Di Manduria Dolce Naturale 2015

A traditional-style Primitivo made from late-harvest grapes. The grapes of this wine were taken from old bush vines and the wine was aged for 12 months in French and American barriques. The San Marzano’s 11 Filari Primitivo Di Manduria Dolce Naturale 2015 is full of plum, chocolate, vanilla, and orange peel. It has a powerful mid-palate, small and grippy tannins, and bright acidity. This is one delicious sweet wine that will pair well with chocolate cake.   4.3/5

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• Vitivinicola Marulli, Menone Negroamaro 2013

The Menone Negroamaro is the premium red from Vitivinicola Marulli, located on the Salento peninsula. This unfined and unfiltered Negroamaro wine was aged in concrete for 36 months. It has notes of black cherry, tobacco, and black pepper. It’s rich but not overly big. It has chewy tannins and some room to develop. Our friend Fabien Lainé liked this wine as well as you can see below.   4.0/5

• Ognissole, Essentia Loci Primitivo di Manduria 2015

Do you think all Primitivo di Manduria wines are plummy and jammy? One taste of the Ognissole Essentia Loci Primitivo di Manduria might change your mind. The fruit of this wine is from the Salento peninsula. Ognissole’s Essentia Loci Primitivo di Manduria 2015 is medium-bodied, perked up by juicy acidity and Mediterranean herb flavors. Notes of red plum, licorice, earth, juniper, and oregano dominate the balanced palate. The flavors show the warm growing condition yet retain freshness and do not cross the line into being “too cooked”. The fine-grained tannins and long finish make this one of the most approachable Primitivos we’ve come across.    4.3/5

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• L’Archetipo, Greco Bianco 2016

L’Archetipo is a fairly new, eco-certified (organic) producer in Puglia. We appreciated most of the L’Archetipo’s wines, and this stood out the most to us. The L’Archetipo’s Greco Bianco 2016 is white wine with one day of skin contact. Notes of ripe stone fruit and a touch of nuttiness. It’s vibrant on the palate with a little bit of tannins that hit the end-palate.   4.0/5

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• Camerlengo, Aglianico del Vulture 2014

Camerlengo is a minimal-intervention producer in Basilicata. His Aglianico del Vulture is made from grapes of old vines. The Camerlengo’s Aglianico del Vulture 2014 is full-bodied led by fruit flavors (black cherry and blackberry) plus a hint of chocolate. This has rich fruit without the hindrance of oak and finishes with a lovely tobacco note. For a three-year-old Aglianico del Vulture, this is extremely approachable and deserves praise.   4.2/5

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• Giovanni Aiello, Chakra Rosso Primitivo 2015

Giovanni Aiello makes small batches of wines from his vineyards near the town of Gioia del Colle. His Chakra Rosso Primitivo is made from higher-elevation vineyards on the Salento peninsula. He hand-paints all his labels and practices the minimal-intervention approach both in the vineyard and winery; hence, vintage variations in the wines can be surprisingly drastic. Giovanni Aiello’s Chakra Rosso Primitivo 2015 is a fresher style of Primitivo. Its medium body is packed with notes of red plum, cooked cherry, graphite, and earth. The tannins are fine-grained and the acidity keeps the wine lively.  4.1/5

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Radici Del Sud Is South Italy’s Best Wine Party by Susan Gordon, Forbes

The organizers of Radici del Sud paid for our flights, accommodation, and meals. However, the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. 

The post South Italian Wines at Radici del Sud appeared first on Wine Travel.