Greco di Tufo Sphera, the first wine from Cennerazzo

We got to know the Cennerazzo winery, a relatively young wine estate operating in Irpinia within the Greco di Tufo appellation area. This denomination, together with Fiano d'Avellino and Taurasi, has contributed decisively to the development of the territory, so much so that the wines produced are well known even abroad. And from Cennerazzo we tasted the Greco di Tufo, which is currently the first and only bottled wine produced by the estate.

The estate is located in the municipality of Torrioni and is undergoing an important generational transition. Federico used to make wine for family consumption, selling the surplus in bulk and conferring grape production to the cooperative winery. The turning point came with his son, Sebastiano, current president of the consorzio Viticoltori del Greco di Tufo. Sebastiano developed the current estate, today run by his children Federico and Lidia, always maintaining an artisanal approach while applying innovative methods and using modern technologies.

The vineyard consists of small plots facing south and positioned on hillsides at approximately 450 metres above sea level. The vines, planted with Greco, are located in the municipalities of Torrioni, Tufo and Petruro Irpinio for a total of just 4 hectares. The soils are predominantly medium-textured clay with sulphurous veins. The vine training system is Guyot with a planting density of fewer than 3,000 vines per hectare.

Yields are below 80 quintals of grapes per hectare thanks to a very strict selection in the vineyard carried out throughout the long vegetative cycle of Greco. A grape that buds early in April and has a late harvest season, often well into October. Agronomic treatments are low environmental impact, with a reduced use of sulphites.

In the cellar, after destemming, the grapes undergo a soft pneumatic pressing. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 14–15°C for about ten days. The wine is then racked into steel tanks where it rests for several months. After a couple of rackings, it is filtered and then bottled. At present, fewer than 5,000 bottles of Greco di Tufo are produced, although the winery has significant growth potential.

We then tasted the wine.

Greco di Tufo Sphera 2014

The wine presents a beautiful golden straw yellow colour, clear and bright. When gently swirled it forms thick tears that slowly run down the glass. A full-bodied wine. On the nose it expresses ripe fruity aromas of yellow peach and apricot, surrounded by enveloping citrus notes. Then we perceive fine hints of thyme with a pleasant almond finish. The palate is impressive, very well structured. Minerality and freshness stand out, well balanced by a lovely characteristic roundness imparted by the glyceric contribution and over 13 degrees of alcohol. A roundness that even determines the name Sphera of this fine wine. It closes long on a sapid and aromatic trail.

A wine of substance, rich in personality, with a soft, full, enveloping flavour that is at once powerful and solid, and that shows great promise in terms of evolution. I would love to taste it again in a couple of years to understand how it changes over time. A Greco di Tufo that is the fruit of an approach to vineyard and cellar work guided by a far-sighted vision for the development of the territory.