This year’s Krokidas & Bluestein wine and extra virgin olive oil tasting features wines from Irpinia, which is located in Avellino, Campania and two regions in Sicilia: Mt. Etna and Siracusa-Modica; and extra virgin olive oils from Irpinia and Vulture, which is located in Potenza, Basilicata. All wines are produced by families that abide by organic and sustainable viticulture; some are certified organic while others are natural. In short, there are no chemical interventions in the vineyard and little use, if any, of sulfites in the cellar. The extra virgin olive oils are organic; two of the three are “home-made” products.
There are 15 wines and 3 extra virgin olive oils included in the tasting. Part One lists the 18 products to be tasted. Part Two provides information on the producers.
PART ONE
Wines from Irpinia
Celsi – Irpinia Aglianico 2014, Fiorentino.
Ion – Campi Taurasini 2015, Stefania Barbot.
Taurasi 2012, Case d’Alto.
Nero Ne’ – Taurasi 2011, Il Cancelliere
Primum – Taurasi 2004, Guastaferro
Wines from Sicilia
Ciuri di Lava – Etna Bianco 2016, Cantine Valenti
Enrico IV – Etna Bianco 2015, Cantine Valenti.
Mofete – Etna Bianco 2015, Palmento Costanzo.
Etna Bianco 2015, Quantico.
Pretosia – Albanello 2017, Cantine Gulino.
Mofete – Etna Rosso 2014, Palmento Costanzo.
Etna Rosso 2014, Quantico.
Puritani Etna Rosso, 2013 Cantine Valenti.
Nero d’Avola – Tracce Sicilia 2017, Terrasol.
Drus Nero d’Avola – IGT Terre Siciliani 2015, Cantine Gulino.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Case d’Alto (Irpinia) Raceve
Camerlengo (Vulture)
Petrillo (Irpinia)
PART TWO
Fiorentino
There is a strong Boston connection with Azienda Agricola Fiorentino. Gianni Fiorentino’s grandfather immigrated to Boston, resided in Chelsea and sent money to Gianni’s family. With money from the United States, the Fiorentino family purchased vineyards in Paternopoli, Avellino. In the early 1990’s Gianni’s mother began to make wine for local consumption. In the late 1990’s Gianni and his brother and sister assumed the wine-making operations. Today, Gianni oversees the production of about 10,000 bottles of Fiorentino wines, which are made in a modern eco-friendly cantina aimed at sustainability as it utilizes solar energy and recovered rainwater to irrigate the vineyard adjacent to the cellar. In the vineyard Fiorentino uses organic fertilization and phytosanitary defense integrated with the total abolition of chemical weeding. Celsi wine, which spends eight months in oak barrels and one to one-half months in stainless steel tanks before bottling, is named in honor of Gianni’s grandfather’s Massachusetts home-town of Chelsea, MA.
Stefania Barbot
Stefania Barbot and her husband Erminio Spiezia began Stefania Barbot Societa’ Agricola in 2010. The vineyards are located in Paternopoli, Avellino. Stefania is from Fruili, northeast Italy; Erminio is from nearby Napoli. Campi Taurasini is a DOC, a subzone of 23 municipalities within the larger Irpinia DOCG. The wine is commonly referred to as the “young brother” of Taurasi. Barbot’s Ion Campi Taurasini wine is made with grapes from vines that are up to 70 years old. Barbot adheres to organic practices in the vineyard and minimizes intervention in the cellar as only small amounts of sulfites are added to stabilize the wine. Vincenzo Mercurio, a highly acclaimed wine consultant, assists Barbot in the production of its wines. The name of the Campi Taurasini, Ion, derives from the Greek word “iov” which means purple. The wine spends one year in stainless steel tanks before being bottled. Barbot produces about 15,000 bottles of Campi Taurasini and a Taurasi per annum.
Case d’ Alto
Azienda Agricola Case d’ Alto is noted for both its wines and extra virgin olive oils (see below re; extra virgin olive oil). Claudio De Luca, with assistance from his brother Rocco, oversees the production of two different wines (Taurasi and Fiano) and two different extra virgin olive oils (Raceve and Coevo). Located in Grottaminarda, Avellino Case d’ Alto is an organic farm with an annual production of 10,000 bottles of Taurasi and Fiano di Avellino wines and 3,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil. Fiano di Avellino is a new product line for Case d’ Alto with 2016 as the first vintage. As with many farmers in Southern Italy, before producing wines for commercial purposes, Case d’Alto sold its grapes to either the large Campania based winery Mastroberardino, or Northern Italian wineries that used the powerful aglianico grape to fortify their wines. Case d’ Alto Taurasi, after a few months in a stainless steel tank, is transferred to large Torrone oak barrels. After 12 months the wine is transferred to smaller barrique barrels. After a minimum of one year in barrique and one year in the bottle, the wine is available for sale. Case d’Alto produces a monovarietal extra virgin olive oil with raceve olives and a blended extra virgin olive oil with raceve, ogliarola, lecchino and frantoio olives.
Il Cancelliere
L’azienda vitivinicola Il Cancelliere is a family affair. Soccorso Romano started the winery (2005 was the first vintage). Soccorso’s and his wife Pasqualina’s two children and their children’s spouses are actively engaged with the winery: Enrico Romano and his wife Rita and Nadia Romano and her husband Claudio. The family estate, located in Montemarano, originally was 70 hectares, but the estate has been divided among family members. As a result the Il Cancelliere estate now consists of seven hectares of which two hectares are dedicated to fruits, vegetables and wheat for pasta. In addition, Il Cancelliere raises sheep and rabbits. When in need of products from cows, they obtain from neighbors. Thus, Il Cancelliere is self-sufficient. Because Il Cancelliere observes organic practices the farm pays close attention to the weather so the farm can intervene to protect the vines. It subscribes to a special weather service that provides detailed weather reports for its sub-area. The only interventions are natural such as sulphur and cooper as needed in the soil. In the cellar only native yeasts are used, there is no filtration, no stabilization, no clarification and no sulfites added. Nero Ne’ 2011 spent two years in large Slovenian oak barrels and two years in bottle before release. When we met with the family in 2016 we were advised that Nero Ne’ is a “naughty boy” – 15.8% alcohol. Il Cancelliere produces about 20,000 bottles per year.
Guastaferro
Raffaele’s father started Cantine Guastaferro in 2003. In 201o, Raffaele assumed the leadership of the winery. Guastaferro has an annual production of about 10,000 bottles from vineyards located in Taurasi that have been in the family for over 200 years. Prior to 2003, the family sold grapes to the large Campania based winery Feudi San Gregorio. The Primum Riserva is made with grapes from 200-year-old vines over 1.5 hectares. The old vines produce tiny amounts of very concentrated juice and it shows in the finished wines. Per Raffaele, the “magic” of the old vines results in little work in the cellar. Only 2,000 bottles of the Primum Riserva are produced per annum. Raffaele is a quiet assuming artisan who shuns the spotlight. His cantina is an oversized garage and he does not have a modern tasting room as one tastes his wine in an old style kitchen above his cantina. His wines tend to be overlooked when first released, but as they age their power and grace become evident. The 2004 Primum Riserva is one such example of a “late-blooming” wine. The same can be said about Raffaele’s 2008 Primum and 2010 Primum. Antonio Galloni, arguably the foremost Italian wine critic, has recently written that Guastaferro 2010 Primum Riserva is the best Italian wine that he tasted this year. I am fortunate to have Guastaferro 2004 Primum wines available to share.
Cantine Valenti
Cantine Valenti is located in Passipiciaro, Catania, Sicilia. The father/son combination of Giovanni and Alessandro Valenti, who originate from Catania, began the winery in 2004. In the Etna area there are many new wineries started by families from nearby Catania (e.g. Cantine Valenti and Palmento Costanzo) and stranieri (foreigners or non-Sicilians – Terre Nere, Passipiciaro and Corneilssen ). Cantine Valenti is certified organic; it adds far less of the maximum allowed sulfites to its wines and is currently experimenting with a wine with no sulfites added. (see Ciuri di Lava below). The cantina, a converted old distillery, has an area that has been updated as a tasting room. Etna Rosso (Puritani) is made with nerello mascalese (80%) and nerello cappuccino (20%) grapes from vineyards located at 700 to 800 meters above sea level at the side of the active Mt. Etna volcano. Giovanni is a fan of the arts as evidenced by names given to the wines. Puritani is named after an Italian opera from Catania playwright Vincenzo Bellini. One of the two Etna Bianco is Ciuri di Lava 2016 (in Sicilian dialect means “flower of wine”) is made with the grecanico grape and without the addition of any sulfites. The color of the wine is golden; almost orange; different for an Etna Bianco or for that matter an Italian white wine. The second Etna Bianco is Enrico IV 2015, which is made with the carricante grape. Consistent with the Giovanni’s interests in the arts, Enrico IV is named after a novel by Luigi Pirandello.
Palmento Costanzo
Palmento Costanzo is located in Passipiciaro, Catania, Sicilia. The husband wife combination of Mimmo and Valeria Costanzo, who both originate from nearby Catania, purchased the vineyard in 2009, They are one of many new producers to the internationally highly acclaimed Mt. Etna wine area. The Costanzos, though new to wine business, are traditionalists. Following historical landmark regulations, they have preserved the historical Sicilian palmento wine making process that was in disrepair when the property was acquired. Some of their wines are made with grapes from vines over 100 years old. All wines are certified organic. The Costanza family, which is a leading construction and renewable energy company in Sicily and beyond, has a modern spectacular cantina with a large tasting area. Palmento Costanza has an annual production of about 75,000 bottles. The Etna Rosso (Mofete 2014) is made with nerello mascalese (80%) and nerello cappuccino (20%) grapes. The Etna Bianco (Mofete 2015) is made with carricante (70%), cataratto (25%), trebbiano (3%) and minnella (2%) grapes.
Quantico
Quantico Vini is located in Linguaglossa, Catania, Sicily. Giovanni Raiti’s family has produced wine for personal and local consumption since 1900. In 2009, Giovanni decided to produce wine commercially. With vines that are 80 to 90 years old he works in collaboration with his good friend and enologist Pietro di Giovanni to produce both an Etna Rosso and Etna Bianco. Etna Rosso 2014 is made with nerello mascalese (90%) and nerello cappuccino (10%) grapes. The grapes are grown in Solicchiata; a town next to Passipiciaro (where Palmento Costanzo and Valenti grow their grapes). Giovanni and Pietro use no pesticides or fertilizers in the vineyard and no commercial yeasts in the cellar, thus producing an organic and natural wine. From the same vineyard in Solicchiata, Pietro produces his own Etna Rosso called Marchesa. Etna Bianco 2015 is made with carricante (70%), cataratto (20%) and grillo (10%) grapes from a vineyard in Linguaglossa. Quantico, another small winery featured at the tasting, produces only about 12,000 bottles per year. Collaboration among small producers, as with Giovanni and Pietro, is common in Southern Italy.
Cantine Gulino
Cantine Gulino is located in Siracusa, Sicilia. Pretosia 2017 is made with the obscure albanello grape. This ancient grape fell out of favor as farmers and wine makers replaced the grape with the popular moscato grape. In the late 1980’s Dr. Sebastiano Gulino began his research in an effort to “rediscover” the albanello grape. After years of research and DNA testing, Dr. Gulino found several albanello vines. Today, Cantine Gulino, which was established in 1793 and underwent several iterations from the production of grapes to fruits and vegetables before returning to the production of grapes in the early 1990s, is the only winery to produce a wine 100% from the albanello grape. A few wineries add albanello as a blending grape. Cantine Gulino is a certified organic producer. It produces eight different wines for an annual production of about 70,000 bottles, including Drus, a wine made with the Sicilian nero d’avola grape and is also featured at the tasting.
Terrasol
Azienda Vinicola Cantina Terrasol is a family run business. The winery was started by the grandfather, Stefano Poidimani, and is now operated by his son Giorgio and grandson Stefano. The winery is located in Frigintini, which is a frazione in the historic city of Modica. Terrasol began the commercial production of wine in 2007. The winery produces eight different wines; including a wine with no added sulfites. Terrasol adheres to minimum intervention with its other wines as small amounts of sulfites, well below organic thresholds, are added to the wines. Giorgio is a negociant; he does not grow his own grapes, rather he purchases grapes from farmers. This provides him the opportunity to pick and choose the best grapes from different vineyards from year to year. This is a practice that large wineries utilize and the famous Barolo producer, Bruno Giacosa, is a negociant. Terrasol’s nero d’avola ages in stainless tanks, no oak.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Case d’Alto
This an organic extra virgin olive made with raceve olives. The olive mill is located in Grottaiminarda, Avellino. Case d’ Alto also makes wine.
Camerlengo
This is a “home-made” extra virgin olive oil. Camerlengo is a winery that produces natural wines in Vulture area of Potenza. Consistent with other local farmers, Camerlengo brings freshly harvested olives to a local mill for crushing and processing. More than likely Camerlengo grows oligliarola del vulture, coratina and frantoia olives.
Petrillo Family
This extra virgin olive oil is made from raceve olives grown in in our friend Gaetano Petrillo’s father’s back yard in Montemiletto, Avellino. Similar to Camerlengo, the Petrillo family brings freshly harvested olives to a local mill for crushing and processing.
