Colli di Lapio

In the small Campania winery Colli di Lapio in Arianiello, a hamlet belonging to the village of Lapio, people still live, think - and make wine - in the traditional way. With their white and red wines made from the indigenous grape varieties Fiano, Greco and Aglianico, which are typical of the province of Avellino, the modest owner Clelia Romano and her husband Angelo, who are characterised by a strong sense of family, have made an excellent name for themselves among connoisseurs at home and abroad. On the one hand, this is due to the reliably high quality of the grapes grown in the Arianiello, Stazzone and Scarpone vineyards, which grow up to 550 metres above sea level. On the other hand, the reputation is also due to the certified designation of origin and the fact that cultivation is carried out entirely according to organic principles. The very limited wines - for example, only a few thousand bottles of each of the Aglianico-based red wines are produced - are repeatedly praised by wine critics.

While the children Carmela and Federico are already eagerly and happily involved in the family winery, the three grandchildren are currently only responsible for naming some of the labels. Angelo, on the other hand, knows almost every pebble in the hilly and mountainous landscape of Irpinia. The vines on the six hectares of vineyards are not only blown by the wind, but are also partially exposed to the sun all day long. The vines also benefit from very calcareous clay soils and strong temperature fluctuations between day and night. It is characteristic of Colli di Lapio that only sulphur and copper-based active ingredients are used in the environmentally friendly work in the vineyard. The family has also planted alfalfa, a crop that tolerates cold winters well, to add more nitrogen to the soil.

Under the leadership of Clelia's father Pasquale, the family used to only sell grapes to neighbouring winegrowers, but now they handle the entire value chain. The special techniques used by the winery in the province of Avellino include harvesting only in the second half of October, partial fermentation on dying yeast cultures in steel tanks and bottling in stages between spring and autumn after the harvest. If the wines are not matured in tanks in the tiny cellar, they are usually aged in new barriques. The authentic, flavoursome white wines made from Fiano are lean and very long-lasting. Many experts consider them to be among the best wines ever made from this variety. SUPERIORE.DE

"Take the most popular buzzwords in wine language - prime location, top terroir, winemaker with heart and soul and minerality - throw them around without inhibition and the Colli di Lapio winery is already aptly described." Gambero Rosso