The name Piedirosso (“red feet”) came from Roman writer Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia, referring to the red stalks of the variety’s grape bunches. Although there’s no known genetic connection, Piedirosso often feels like a less-intense version of Aglianico: there’s dark berry fruit, spice, tannin, and a hint of smoke, all of which you’ll find in Cantine Olivella’s “Vipt.” Typically blended with Aglianico in the red version of Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, this is a relatively rare “varietal” version from an assortment of high-elevation vineyards within the Vesuvio National Park.
Andrea Cozzolino tapped into historic family vineyard holdings to launch his Cantine Olivella label in 2004, and now we’ve got access to them stateside. “Vipt” is a play on Neapolitan dialect for “to drink,” and more specifically, to drink with pleasure. The vineyard sources for the bottling range in altitude from 900 to 1,800 feet of elevation, rooted in sandy, lava-rich soils. Average vine age is about 30 years and all farming is organic.
Aged in tank only and designed for early (and easy) consumption, the wine displays a deep ruby core moving to garnet and pink at the rim, with a tangle of sweet, spicy, and savory that is quintessentially Campanian. There’s little doubt you’re drinking a volcanic red, as notes of ash and smoke mingle with wild berry, black and red plum, pomegranate, violet, flint, tar, and charred meat. The acidity is brisk and the tannins are sandy but not aggressive. Decant this about 15 minutes before consuming in all-purpose stems at around 50-55 degrees, a temperature which will dull the acidity slightly and play up the fruit component. A sausage-topped pizza (no red pepper flake!) would be a great companion, as would an old-school baked ziti or lasagna. Get ready to erupt (see what I did there?) into applause! Salute!
