CANTINA GIARDINO
Sophia 2020
Campania, Italy
Greco from the same vineyard as T’ara rà, planted six hundred and fifty metres above sea level in Santa Paolina. This spent a year on skins in small terracotta amphorae, before being pressed off to acacia and chestnut casks to rest for a further six months. A pale, hazy amber, its pure citrus fruit is gently spiced with neat tannins and a long mineral finish adding plenty of intrigue. A wonderful wine to pair with the region’s rustic dishes, such as rabbit braised with olives, white wine and wild herbs.
Greco
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
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 bottled unfiltered, with no additions at all. The resulting wines are singular, vivid expressions of grape and place.