Buying Guide: Campi Flegrei DOC (Campania, Italy)

Paul Caputo

Jul 13, 2016 — 2 min read

If you are a producer of Campi Flegrei wines and would like to get in touch with me, please don't hesitate. Contact me.

Campi Flegrei is one of the lesser known DOCs in the southern region of Campania, but nevertheless, in recent years this little Neapolitan enclave has thrown out a few interesting wines worth taking a look at. Mineral rich soils and a warm Mediterranean climate suggest that with the right attitude the vineyards of the Phlegraen Fields are capable of producing quality wines. Whites are predominantly produced with the Falanghina variety, while reds are produced with Piedirosso.

Whites

Campi Flegrei DOC Falanghina by Contrada Salandra Just outside the village of Pozzuoli, Giuseppe Fortunato produces this excellent Falanghina in accordance with sustainable viticultural techniques. Matured in stainless steel, it exudes fresh and fragrant aromas of broom and honeysuckle with further nuances of citrus and pineapple, making this an impressively complex wine.

Campi Flegrei DOC Falanghina 'Cruna de Lago' by La Sibilla Cruna de Lago is a step up in the La Sibilla range and displays impressive layers of zesty tree fruit aroma with a fresh, exotic mineral palate backed up by subtle herbal notes. Gloriously elegant with a gentle finish of salinity and broom.

Reds

Campi Flegrei DOC Piedirosso by Il Grotta del Sole Grotta del Sole produce wine all over Campania and although owning only 13 hectares outright, they manage and purchase from up to 120 hectares, all panted with the region's various varieties. This is ungrafted Piedirosso that is handpicked in mid October from large pole trellises known as puteolano. Destemmed and pressed before a seven day maceration, the wine is released about 6 months after the harvest and displays all the natural berry fruit characteristics of the grape, representing an enjoyable but basic introduciton.

Campi Flregrei DOC Piedirosso 'Colle Rotondella by Cantine Astroni
100% Piedirosso produced in sandy, tufo rich soils on Cantine Astroni's Camaldoli estate. Harvested in late October, it enjoys a long maceration and some extended lees contact in stainless steel. Floral aromas compete with fresh cherry and raspberry notes while on the palate the wine is complex with notes of raspberry, sour cherry and liquorice but maintains a fresh, dry finish.

🍇 Grape guide: Ciliegiolo

Ciliegiolo is a very old red grape variety grown in central Italy, most notably in Tuscany. For a long time it was used as a blending variety in the two Chianti appellations, but there is now a growing list of mono-varietal wines produced exclusively from Ciliegiolo, particularly close to the

💯 Tasting: The Historical SuperTuscans

Earlier this year, I attended a rare tasting of wines from members of the Association of Historical SuperTuscans. Predominantly hailing from the 2016 vintage, these were a joy to taste and and a reminder that they remain some of the finest wines in the world. As Tuscany’s wine scene

🇬🇪 Reflections on the Gurjaani Wine Festival

It’s mid afternoon in Eastern Georgia and an October sun loiters in the boundless blue sky. A shimmering heat haze lingers over the Alazani river plain, distorting the vast snow capped profile of the Caucusses. We’re just over 100km from Tbilisi, in the Kakheti region’s principle winemaking

💯🌋 Tasting report: Etna Bianco

Etna’s evocative landscapes conjure thoughts of vibrant wines that bristle with energy, tart fruit and fiery acidity. The territory is in vogue right now and even with rapidly rising prices the wines are an easy sell. Reds from Nerello Mascalese have driven the recent renaissance, but I predict it

Read more

🍇 Grape guide: Ciliegiolo

💯 Tasting: The Historical SuperTuscans

🇬🇪 Reflections on the Gurjaani Wine Festival

💯🌋 Tasting report: Etna Bianco