The Amalfi Coast is easily one of the most beautiful wine producing regions in the world. But given that beauty it is tourism, not serious viticulture, that dominates on the sunny Campanian coast. Most of the wine is average stuff for local consumption. The shining, soaring exception is the estate of Marisa Cuomo. On steep, terraced vineyards that almost fall into the ocean, she and her husband Andrea craft some of the most textured, complex, and age worthy white wines in all of Italy. Their flagship village wine, Furore, conjures up the lemon groves and salty sea air in droves, and also adds many additional layers of depth and profundity. As we rapidly approach the darkest day of the year, this is a wine to brighten your mood, your dinner party, your entire holiday season!
Located about 20 kilometers east of Positano, Furore is one of those impossible-looking seaside towns that climbs right out of the water, with steep cliffs overlooking secluded coves. Terraced vineyards climb up the sides of these cliffs in an unruly patchwork, rooted in soils of dolomitic limestone, and one can only imagine the amount of grueling manual labor that goes into maintaining them. Indeed, it is much easier to run a hostel or hotel, which is why Marisa Cuomo is a winemaking hero. Cuomo and her husband, Andrea Ferraioli, founded their small winery in 1980, in the coastal village of Furore. The Marisa Cuomo estate now farms about 10 hectares of vineyards in total (3.5 of which are estate-owned), with production comprised of about 60% white wines. Marisa, Andrea, and their small team do everything by hand, with the goal of showcasing the special terroir and local varieties of the Amalfi Coast.
“Furore” is their “villages” style cuvée, sourced from their top vineyards and utilizing the fruit that doesn’t go into their exquisite (and pricey) single vineyard bottlings. It’s a blend of Falanghina and Biancolella–local varieties–which are hand harvested in early October, and are then destemmed and very gently pressed into stainless steel tanks. The juice undergoes a cold static fining, and then is fermented slowly, and gently, at about 60 degrees for 20-30 days. After four months of aging on the fine lees it is bottled and then aged for several more months before release.
Served at a cool (not cold!) 50 degrees in all-purpose or Burgundy stems, the 2022 Furore has a deep straw-yellow hue, which is flecked with gold and orange, and a surprisingly robust texture, but ultimately this wine is all about fruit and herbs and wildflowers. Aromas of acacia honey, salted lemon, apricot, and assorted tropical fruits mingle with those of yellow flowers, wild herbs, salt air, and crushed white stones. It is well-concentrated, approaching medium-plus in body, with a rush of minerality and acidity lending freshness and propelling a long and aromatic finish. It’s a natural pairing for all things fresh from the ocean, especially done Italian style like the recipe below for tagliarini (like spaghetti, but better) and clams. And if you choose to do a feast of seven fishes for Christmas eve, this is your perfect bottle for the night!
