The masters of the outsized bottle, here Cantina Giardino have captured a compelling deep pink rosato that is bottled in magnum only. This goes some way to demonstrate the style of wine - it is thirst-quenching and dangerously easy to drink, making this the perfect bottle for a big lunch or picnic when there are a group of you getting together. Unfussy and so satisfying.
It is a blend of Aglianico, Primitivo, Piedirosso and Coda di Volpe from Montemarano, fermented on the skins for two days and aged in large sandstone amphorae for one year. A brilliant ruby in the glass, this is everything we want in a vino da tavola, with neat tannins framing flavours of red cherry, blood orange and bitter herbs.
Antonio and Daniela De Gruttola seek out old vineyards in Irpinia, high in the hills of Campania. They champion and preserve the region’s native varietals, old vines and an age old way of tending them. The vines are set at altitude and are planted over the region’s vibrant volcanic soils. Vineyard work is done by hand, organically and a combination of great farming and low yields results in healthy, characterful fruit. In the cantina, Antonio takes a no-nonsense approach with the intention of letting this terroir express itself in full. The grapes ferment naturally without temperature control and fermentation can continue for months. Wines are raised in a combination of terracotta amphorae and large casks made from local woods and are bottled unfiltered, with no additions at all. The resulting wines are singular, vivid expressions of grape and place.
