2024 Di Majo Norante Molí Rosso

Alessio Di Majo is renowned for producing some of Italy’s more exciting and charming regional vino. In their seminal book, Vino Italiano, Bastianich and Lynch describe Di Majo as the lone wolf of Molise. He was the first in this region to really roll up his sleeves, take a pedantic approach to yields and listen to advice from renowned oenologists outside the region. Di Majo’s vineyards hug the lower-lying slopes of sand and clay that drape from the Apennine Mountains towards the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea. What Molise lacks in international recognition, it more than makes up for in natural beauty. Molise’s palette of grape varieties borrows from Abruzzo to the north and Puglia and Campania to the south, so you are just as likely to come across a fragrant white from Falanghina as you are a red from Montepulciano or Aglianico. For this delicious medium-bodied red, Alessio Di Majo blends organically grown Montepulciano (80%) and Aglianico (20%) cropped from the estate’s sloping Ramitello vineyard, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. It’s a wonderful combination of Montepulciano’s delicious dark berry fruitiness and Aglianico’s black olive tapenade, Christmas spice and earthy intensity. The wine’s sun-touched fruit is trussed by zippy, mouthwatering acidity and just the right pinch of fine-grained tannins.