2004 Di Majo Norante Aglianico Molise Contado

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  9/6/2007, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (CONTADO Di Majo Norante) Molise Dear Friends, In addition to the Pratesi, the other wine I had a few nights at the Italian restaurant was this one. Another recommendation from the cook and I’m very glad I listened. It’s taken me a few days to come up with this but here goes... Sometimes you have to go out of your way to discover something special and Di Majo Norante has done just that. Molise may be one of the last remaining backwater regions of Italy but it is a no longer unknown in the world of wine - thanks almost exclusively to this wine. Di Majo Norante wanted to play things the old fashioned way - produce a series of wines from their home terroir (in all price ranges) and become known for their expensive, single vineyard bottling that would become the flagship of the region of Molise. That expensive wine is the Don Luigi, an often stunning blend of old-vine Montepulciano and indigenous Tintilia that is especially fine in 2004 (for those of you still confused about Molise it is a small region below Abruzzo that borders Campania on the Adriatic side of Italy, just above the heel of the boot). The problem? Di Majo Norante also produces a pesky moderately priced wine that keeps getting in the way of these plans - that wine, the Contado (a potentially ethereal rendition of Aglianico), has taken on a life of its own and the winery has finally given in to the fact that its flagship may not be the Don Luigi after all but a bargain wine that has shown itself to be much more than they ever envisioned. After the Gambero Rosso gave the Contado the only Tre Bicchieri in the entire region of Molise (the Don Luigi did not get this award), Veronelli followed suit with a 3-star accolade and now multiple 90+ ratings have ensued, I think it’s safe to say the winery has become known for the Contado. Aglianico is Italy’s hot grape of the moment. From Galardi to Taurasi, it seems everyone is in love with the grape. It produces a tobacco-laced, deep red fruited, extremely complex wine that can arouse meditative moments from the most demanding palates. Silky with age but fiery and determined as well, Aglianico is one of Europe’s finest ageing varietals. I recently had the 2000 version of the Contado (yesterday in fact - I found a bottle to try after having the 2004) and it is incredibly complex - even bizarrely so for a wine of this price point - almost like a Right Bank Bordeaux mixed with Italian flair. The 2004 version is going to be a lot harder to come by than previous versions as they are not releasing it as a “bargain” entrant anymore. So, before they figure out what to do with the Contado, whether to repackage it, change the name or other, you get the newly released 2004 (the most critically acclaimed version yet from a great vintage) for a low price. I think it’s safe to say this is Italy’s single finest red wine value at the moment...and that’s saying a lot. Your new house wine that you can follow for a decade or more? VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: 2004 Di Majo Norante “Contado” (Aglianico) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy7530