On the occasion of Cantine Aperte, the most important wine festival of Italy, we decided to get the chance to write again about the indigenous grapes of Lazio. And today we are going red.
The grape is Cesanese, an ancient local grape that exists in 2 different subvarieties: Di Affile and Del Piglio, the latter being the highest quality. Cesanese Del Piglio is cultivated in the whole province of Frosinone and more specifically in the towns of Piglio and Serrone and partially in the communes of Acuto, Paliano and Anagni on hilly soils of volcanic origins. This variety started to get a new lease in life in the last decade, attracting more attentions and obtaining the first DOCG of the region in 2008.
The resulting wine has intense ruby colour. Its nose is full of forest herbs aromas, red forest fruits: mulberries, blackberries with a final almost sweet note. In the mouth it shows a good combination of freshness, depth and structure. Its tannins are round and velvety. It is meant to be drunk relatively young but can live a few years and develop a nice complexity.
It’s the pride of Lazio and it matches brilliantly the local cuisine: lamb and bucatini all’amatriciana, but personally I like it a lot on its own.
If you are around this weekend, and want to taste a good example of this wine, you can visit Giovanni Terenzi winery in Serrone.
Or alternatively any other open winery of the region; complete list saved here: http://www.movimentoturismovino.it/public/eventi_istituzionali/20140514111508_0.pdf