The idyllic setting depicted on the label of this bottle is indeed a place where wine is grown. Some of you have probably marveled at it in person while braving the sharp switchbacks and dizzying drops of Italy’s Divina Costiera—the Amalfi Coast. But when it comes to the Marisa Cuomo winery, which nestles on a hillside in the village of Furore, it’s all too easy to become enraptured by their surroundings and overlook an important fact: Theirs are some of the very best wines being made in Southern Italy today.
This goes for whites and reds alike, and in the case of today’s 2017 red, so named for its village of origin, you get something truly exceptional at an everyday price. Our team at SommSelect is forever on the hunt for impossible-seeming wines like this, and we find our fair share, but that doesn’t make each new encounter any less exciting. Today’s wine is a 50-50 blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso, two grapes that also feature prominently in the rustic reds of Mount Vesuvius, but Cuomo’s Furore takes them in a more polished, succulent direction without losing the wildness that makes them unique. In this ’17, Aglianico and Piedirosso are a pair of tough guys who’ve combed their hair and put on their Sunday church clothes—which isn’t to suggest there’s a bunch of new-oak “cologne” clouding the picture (just the opposite, in fact). The wine is just incredibly impressive and utterly unique, especially at this price—if you love Italian wine, it is a must-have, preferably in quantity!
Namesake Marisa Cuomo and her husband, Andrea Ferraioli, founded their small winery in 1980, in the coastal village of Furore. 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. 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. Cuomo’s structured, deeply mineral “Fiorduva,” a white crafted from an amalgam of unheard-of local varieties, is not merely one of a kind but one the greatest, most age-worthy whites in all of Italy.
Less talked-about, but no less worthy, are the estate’s reds. Today’s wine would be considered the ‘entry-level’ bottling, but it’s like few entry-level bottles I’ve ever had. The Aglianico and Piedirosso grapes are grown on south/southwest-facing terraces that range in altitude from 300-500 meters, soaking up lots of sun and plenty of salty sea air besides. The harvest typically extends well into October, surprising for such a southerly, coastal locale, after which the grapes are completely de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel. This Furore Rosso is aged just six months in second-passage French of barriques, followed by additional time resting in bottle before release.
And again, oak is an afterthought here: This 2017 is all about concentrated black fruits, dark, smoky earth, high-toned florals, and salty minerality. In a region known for reds with lots of volcanic character and tannic grip, this one is uncommonly smooth, velvet-textured, and beautifully balanced. Fruit, earth, acid, and tannin are perfectly calibrated, without any unnecessary “sheen” disguising the character of these two indigenous varieties. In the glass, it’s a deep ruby-garnet moving to magenta/pink at the rim, with aromas of just-picked blackberries, black cherry, pomegranate, licorice, violets, leather, warm spices, tobacco, tar, mocha, and turned soil. It is medium-plus in body, deep and satisfying without being the least bit heavy, finishing on a crisp and uplifting note. Decant it 30-45 minutes before serving in large Bordeaux stems with food that will accentuate its deep, earthy flavors: most of the great Amalfi seafood dishes are not really in play here but they do love a good melanzane alla parmigiana down there, so let’s go with that. This is a wine you’ll remember for a long time. Enjoy!
