Campania Trip

Tasted Saturday, December 12, 2009 by tcfishler with 1,090 views

Flight 1 - Cantine di Meo (3 Notes)

Tasting here is as much about appreciating the spectacular historic Di Meo residence as it is about the wine itself, which while solid and reasonably priced, does not represent the apogee of Campania.

Flight 2 - Feudi di San Gregorio (3 Notes)

Although built in the early part of this century, the Feudi complex with its kitschy modernism seems more like the villain's headquarters from a 1960's James Bond movie. To the sound of Gregorian chants that are piped in, one walks through barrel rooms of fluorescent lights, steel girders and smooth concrete until coming across a paper mache nativity scene; the bizarreness makes even the tour guide here smile. There's no snickering about the wine, though, which beyond the basic line is superb.

Flight 3 - Antonio Caggiano (6 Notes)

Antonio's gets my nod for most romantic cellar, a Romanesque vault of brick and stone arches, with enlarged niches holding dusty rows of bottles like pagan idols, with "Taurasi Macchia dei Goti" scribbled on chalkboards above them. While it's hard not to walk away from here without feeling compelled to worship that name, it's the rest of the range that surprises with it's almost uniform superlative quality.

Flight 4 - Mastroberardino (3 Notes)

Despite an unsexy setting in downtown Atripalda, this was a worthwhile stop to hear about Mastro's forward-thinking past presidents and their fascinating new project in Pompeii, entitled "Villa di Misteri" after a famous ruined house in that city featuring a fresco of Dionysus inducting a bride-to-be into his cult. The wine, made from Piedirosso with a little Sciascenoso, is billed as a modern day replica of ancient Roman wine. Once you see new French barriques labeled "Villa di Misteri," however, this billing becomes a bit laughable. Be ready to pay 100 Euro for the privilege of trying this young-vine cuvee.

Flight 5 - Sanpaolo (3 Notes)

This modest gem of a winery awaits those whose cars and driving skills allow them to reach the top of a precipitous slope in Tufo. Owned by a conglomerate, with decidedly unsexy inustrial stylings, the people involved here are in fact quite passionate about what they produce. Before tasting the following wines from bottle, we tasted younger vintages through tanks and barrels. Of the 2009 whites, the Falanghina was bright and crispy, the Fiano was stinkily reduced but well built, and the Greco was absolutely singing. A 2008 Aglianico from steel was cool yet ripe and full enough despite the vintage, which seemed to be a difficult one for that grape. And a 2007 Taurasi from barrel was outstanding, showing tons of elegance and sucking up the oak impressively.

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