About this WINE
Montevetrano di Silvia Imparato
Campania
Campania is a south-west province backed by volcanic coastal ranges and surrounding the city of Naples has been famous since Roman times as a producer of fine wines. Campania’s volcanic soils yield wines of impressive elegance and personality as demonstrated through an array of compelling indigenous varieties.
Its original stars, Falerno and Greco, have more recently been largely surpassed by wines from indigenous varieties like Fiano, Falanghina and Greco (di Tufo). The top reds are dominated by Aglianico with Piedirosso less well-known but highly promising.
The most important region within Campania is Irpinia, which is home to three prestigious DOCGs; Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi; and the Irpinia DOC. Taurasi in particular is the most ageworthy, complex and structured of the wines made from Aglianico.
The region accounts for about 4% of Italy’s wine production (2006).
Recommended Producers: De Conciliis, Galardi
Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
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