Tre Bicchieri 2023: Campania on the launching path
Campania is on the move. The Tre Bicchieri awarded to the region paint a clear picture, one that involves all its five provinces.
New entries, welcome returns and great confirmations
We start with a warm welcome to the three wineries that won our highest award for the first time. These are Contrada Salandra, with their refined Campi Flegrei Falanghina '20, Casa Setaro with the deep Vesuvius White Contradae 61 37 of 2020 (the result of an in-depth study of the individual parcels of the volcano), and Vigne Sannite, with their fruity Falanghina del Sannio Lazzarella '21. On the whole, 2021 was a favorable year for Campania's whites, a trend that benefited the whole region, from Benevento's Falanghina to Fiano d'Avellino, which took home 6 awards, while Greco snatched two gold medals. Three reds also crossed the finish line: the classic Montevetrano, which found an excellent vintage in 2020, Fontanavecchia's Aglianico del Taburno '18, and Feudi di San Gregorio's Taurasi '18. This last appellation, with only one Tre Bicchieri, continues to suffer in terms of stylistic definition, submitting some of the least intelligible wines in the region—the result of poorly calibrated extraction, and excessive, rigid toasty sensations.
Not only Tre Bicchieri...
We also want to highlight some producers that have particularly impressed of late, reaching our finals. In the front row is young Francesca Fiasco in Fellitto (Salerno), then the historic Elena Catalano winery in Sannio, De Vito and Masseria della Porta in Irpinia. And, finally, we point out the very welcome return to the guide of Casa d'Ambra: the flagship winery of Ischia presented a multifaceted version of the legendary Biancolella Tenuta Frassitelli. Overall, the regional picture that emerges is more than convincing, a playing field that's always very demanding, but growing in leaders. Campania is openly competing at a national level, and internationally, and we're convinced that the extraordinary aging potential of its best whites is still under appreciated, by producers, consumers and restaurants as well. Finally, we close with an unconventional wine, the Zagreo '20 de i Cacciagalli, in Casterano. We consider it one of Italy's most fascinating orange wines.
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