Danimi - 'Vaticale' Greco di Tufo DOCG, Campania, Italy (2021)

TASTING NOTES

Hints of peach and blueberry with ash and iodine notes. Mineral and oregano on the palate, with a finish of citrus peel.

Vineyards: 15/20 years old
Soil: mainly argillaceous limestone at 500 meters above sea level
Planting: approx. 4,000 vines per hectare
Winemaking: three months in stainless steel on the lees

The name Danimi is comprised of the names of  founder Ciro Urciuolo’s three children; David, Nick, and Michela.  The Urciuolo brothers sold their first vintage in 1996 from grapes grown on land where their family had raised chestnut trees for generations in the foothills of Mount Faliesi. The wines are an excellent expression of ancient varietals of the region, and the new brand represents the next generation of the family.

The winery is located in a part of Campania known as Irpinia, and the vineyards for the Danimi brand are scattered throughout Irpinia, and also in Puglia, where the Mediterranean climate and choice terroirs make for wines of excellent character. The Urciuolo family has proven their dedication to the indigenous grapes of the region, and to high quality production, which has earned them recognition and outstanding reviews.

The name, Vaticale, pays homage to the now-forgotten profession of cart-driver, whose job it was to transport the grapes from the mountainous vineyards to the winery. Greco is an ancient varietal, believed to have been originally brought to the region by the Greeks and has been cultivated in Avellino for hundreds of years. The vaticale is part of this long tradition.

Greco grapes from around the town of Tufo make the region's most prestigious white wine, and one of the very few white DOCG wines in Southern Italy. Cultivated since Roman times in Campania, the chalky soil of this volcanic region is evident in the wine, which combines a beautiful structure with pleasant mineral notes and a perfumed bouquet.

The rich volcanic soil combined with a hot Mediterranean climate make for wines of excellent character.

The grapes for Vaticale are from the hills of Tufo and Montefusco. The name Tufo refers not only to the village of the same name, but also from they type of rock on which the village was built, which is made of volcanic ash compacted by the centuries. Greco di Tufo wines stand out thanks to the unique characteristics of the sulfur- and tuff-rich volcanic and clay soils; it is believed that these lend the wine its perfume and mineral complexity.