In the wake of this week’s disaster in Turkey and Syria, while dealing with feelings of helplessness in the face of Mother Nature, it feels somewhat apt to drink a wine which was make on the slopes of Vesuvius, the site of its own large-scale natural disaster two thousand years ago.
Wine from volcanic soils are increasingly trendy across the world – Santorini and Etna are the first two zones which leap to my mind, followed by areas such as Soave (and by extension Gambellara obviously!) Then there are the Colli Euganei (in the Veneto) and some parts of Lazio, where only true wine geeks know of the presence of that tell-tale black basalt rock. It is strange therefore that such a symbolic volcano as Vesuvius is not better known amongst consumers for its wines.
I hope this is about to change – hopefully with the success of books like Robert Camuto’s “South of Somewhere” – and also with the emergence of a younger generation of winemakers taking the reins of existing wineries or starting from scratch on this iconic terroir.
The bottle of wine that was calling me today was made by such a person: a young (about to turn 40) man by the name of Andrea Matrone who having worked harvest in Australia, New Zealand etc, recently took over the family winery and has taken it on a natural twist.
CANTINE MATRONE “Bianco 2020” IGT Campania Bianco
However well you know Italian wines, every so often when you step outside your comfort zone, you can be sure to come across a grape variety you’ve never heard of before. In this case, it’s caprettone. Officially registered in 2014, its homeland is on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Campania.
I love Ian D’Agata’s opening sentence when presenting this variety in his book Native Wine Grapes of Italy (2014): “Wine lovers with unconfessed masochistic tendencies will revel in the knowledge that fewer Italian grape varieties will provide a headache faster than Caprettone.” He continues “for many experts, Caprettone is exactly the same as Coda di Volpe Bianca… but don’t tell that to anyone farming the volcanic soils of the Vesuvius… unless you’re a sucker for an eruption of a different kind.”
Not wanting to provoke an uprising amongst the farmers or reveal a hidden personal penchant for masochism, I willingly accept Ian D’Agata’s analysis: “For what it’s worth, Caprettone looks very different from Coda di Volpe Bianca to me. … I think Caprettone is a very interesting variety and its wines potentially exciting. Chances are high that we shall hear a lot more about it in the future.”
The Bianco 2020 from Cantine Matrone is a blend of 80% caprettone, 15% falanghina pompeiana and 5% greco. It has a marvellous golden colour, testament of several days skin contact no doubt. The resulting wine is confident, gutsy and expressive, without being OTT. Its aromas are layered – there’s apricot, bourbon vanilla bean and warm spices – but as with many of the really original Italian white wines, it is the mouthfeel which characterises this charming wine: completely bone dry, rich and defined. I read on the back label “no added sulfites” – but the wine is so assertive you’d never know. The ample tannins give structure to the body, while the sapidity gives shape and elegance. It’s a wine which would call an inattentive drinker to attention and which rewards an attentive drinker with a satisfaction that is hard to come by.
In short, this is one of the most accomplished southern Italian wines that I’ve tasted recently; it reflects the warm climate and the volcanic soils, and possesses an umami character that pleases all the senses.
Price: € – a weekday wine
Rating: **** – something special
Tasted on Jan 9th, 2023
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