Winery: Cantine Ippolito
Region: Calabria
Locale: Ciro' Marina (Crotone), Italy
Appellation: Cirò Rosso Riserva
Designation: DOC

Site: From the oldest, highest part of the Mancuso vineyard, Albarello trained. (Actually, they call it “Albarellone” or Big Albarello, a variation on the theme.) Late harvested against the risk of hard tannins, this is in fact the last vineyard to be harvested in the zone.

Grapes: 100% Gaglioppo, dry farmed, hand harvested. Ippolito is the last winery in the zone to harvest, so fruit is picked pretty ripe.

Fermentation and Aging: Up to 15 days cold soak to extract aromatics without bitter tannin, then fermented and macerated in cement vats for another 7 or so days until alcoholic fermentation is complete. Raised in second and third passage barriques for one year.

Notes: Cirò Classico status is conferred upon wines from the heart of the zone of Cirò and Cirò Marina. Superiore means 1º extra alcohol, a minimum of 13.5%. Colli del Mancuso, the hills of Mancuso, evokes the highest and steepest part of this noble vineyard. The wine is harvested late – in the second half of October – and shows notes of sur-maturité; beautiful soft tannins and lots of dark berry and cassis.