IL Tufiello: Montemattina 2016

If you want to know what the third dimension feels like in a glass of white wine, you should try Guido Zampaglione's Montemattina. Although - and this needs to be mentioned briefly - the wine is not really white. Nor is it yellow or gold. Rather, it shines in the most beautiful copper colour. This is because Guido is one of the great advocates of a long maceration period, during which the colour pigments from the grape skins are slowly transferred into the wine. And also the tannins, which gradually build up on the palate and give the varietal Fiano the aforementioned third, vertical dimension. 

The starting point for the Montemattina is the mountain of the same name in Alta Irpinia, a godforsaken region in eastern Campania. Guido has been cultivating his passion for Fiano, the great white grape variety of Campania, there for several years. Its vines are rooted in volcanic rock at an altitude of 800 metres, which means that thanks to the long growing season, the grapes can develop not only fine tannins and lively acidity, but also complex aromas. 

The grapes are harvested by hand in October at the earliest. The wine is then fermented on the skins. Ageing takes place for 12 months in steel tanks and a further 18 months in the bottle. Monte Mattina is bottled unfined and unfiltered.