Mo-who?
That’s what I said, too, when I first heard the name “Molise.”
Even today, many maps of Italy don’t even delineate this little
region, simply lumping it in with Abruzzo to form “the Abruzzi,”
as the two had been known in the past. In fact, Molise was
first made a discrete region in 1963. But it is still, literally
and figuratively, a blip on the screen.
This goes for wine in particular. Wedged between Abruzzo,
Puglia, and Campania, this little chunk of Apennines (albeit
one with a small stretch of Adriatic coast) is not exactly
a winemaking powerhouse — although it does rank 18th out of
Italy’s 21 regions in total wine production. At any given
time, we’re only likely to have one or two Molise wines on
the Babbo list, and they’re usually from Molise’s best-known
commercial producer, DiMajo Norante.
Alessio Di Majo Norante’s family farm is in Campomarino, not
far from the coast of Molise, and his broad range of wines
draws on influences from both Abruzzo and Campania. Naturally,
the red montepulciano grape factors heavily in his production,
but so do Campanian varieties such as the red aglianico and
the white greco and fiano, as well as other furter-flung varieties.
A longtime Babbo favorite (and a big favorite of the boys
at LUPA as well) is a sangiovese-aglianico blend called “Ramitello,”
which combines the plushness and drinkability of the former
with the spice and aromatic interest of the latter.
In all, there are just three DOC zones in Molise: Pentro d’Isernia,
which covers the rugged area around Isernia, near the Campanian
border; Biferno, which covers the also-mountainous area around
the capital city, Campobasso; and Molise, which covers the
entire region. In my wine-buying adventures I’ve come across
maybe two Biferno DOC wines (decent, if not overly memorable
wines from montepulciano and aglianico) and no Pentro d’Isernia
wines. But I hope to see some more, because I’m told that
the high hills around Isernia and Campobasso are a new wine-growing
frontier in southern Italy. One very reliable source who has
told me this is Enzo Ercolino, the proprietor of Feudi di
San Gregorio in Campania, who has been planting vineyards
in the area and will no doubt produce some big wines from
there very soon. He says the vineyards around Isernia and
Campobasso have similar potential for powerful reds as those
in Benevento and Taurasi in Campania.
For now, you’re most likely to come across the very good wines
of DiMajo Norante in your search for a vino Molisano. My favorite
is this big, purple, plump and fruity montepulciano. It’s
a crowd-pleaser.
DiMajo Norante Molise Montepulciano “Don
Luigi” 2000
A big wine, but with a soft touch. I like to recommend it
with spicy pastas (Mario’s Bucatini all’Amatriciana is my
first choice) because its soft tannins don’t compete with
the heat.
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