Cantine Cipressi, San Felice del Molise
While describing the remoteness and lack of development of Molise (a small mountainous region sandwiched between Abruzzo and Puglia on the Adriatic coast*) in their excellent book Vino Italiano, the Regional Wines of Italy, Lynch and Bastianich lament that “...as of yet we’ve got no Molisano mountain wine to sample in the United States”. Well, it seems they will need to be editing the next edition! With old vines at over 500 meters elevation, Cipressi is the biggest and perhaps best producer of DOC Molise Tintilia, a local variant of Bovale Grande Nero that offers intense violet and spice aromas, a big mouthfeel with hearty dark fruit and a soft, enveloping finish. They also produce a broad range of wines from the Terre degli Osci zona (named for the pre-Roman inhabitants of the region, the Oscans) at wallet friendly pricing:
Cipressi
Terre degli Osci Rosso Venas 2006, Molise $18.99
100% Montepulciano with a seriously substantial mouth feel and flavor set (intensified by drawing off some of the juice to make their delicious Rosato), this is a real meat and potatoes (or pasta or polenta) wine.
Cipressi Molise Rosso Rumen 2005 Sold Out, New Vintage Soon!
85 % Montepulciano / 15% Merlot: Plush, Phat City, da’ Bomb, the Velvet Hammer. This will make you LOTS of friends quickly....
Cipressi Molise Tintilia Macchiarossa 2005 $31.99
100% Tintilia from older vines and very small berries. Spicy, exotic, deep, dark & delish. This made a LOT of converts to the Temple of Tintilia last Holiday Season and is already a hit among lovers of The Dark Side of the Force. VERY limited...
*Click on their name above and dig the lonesome, bluesy music they chose for their website, very indicative of their locale...
Azienda Agricola D’Uva Angelo, Larina, Molise
This cantina has its roots in the 1940’s when Angelo’s grandfather moved to Molise and began working as a sharecropper, growing grapes for a large land owner. Later generations acquired their own lands with 15 hectares of vineyards at an average of 250 meters above sea level planted to 4,000 vines per hectare. They then built a cantina modeled after an ancient temple that is a joy to behold should you ever be in the neighborhood.
D’Uva Terre degli Osci Rosso Prosit 2005, Molise Sold Out, New Vintage Soon!
100% Montepulciano and very, very good for the price with deep, dark fruit and earth flavors and a rich, full, meaty finish that will compliment a broad range of hearty foods.
D’Uva Tintilia del Molise 2004 Sold Out, Returning Soon!
100% Tintilia: VERY dark, purple heading towards black, this blasts complex aromas of spice mixed with a lightly aromatic quality: flavors of licorice / anise, vanilla / toasted almond, wild red berries and more, all situated in a firmly tannic substrate. Fans of Petite Syrah and Refosco will be right at home with this and it pairs beautifully with lamb, duck, sausages and other hearty fare.
