Fantastic White Wine From South Of Rome

My wine merchant held up the bottle of the 2022 Marco Carpeneti Bellone Nzu and proclaimed, "This wine is great!" I will wholeheartedly agree. Before you ask, Nzu means "togetherness" in the ancient dialect of Cori, symbolizing the marriage of ancient winemaking and modern organic farming. 

The three stars on the label are derived from the family's coat of arms as representing faith, hope, and charity. Today the stars represent sustainability, respect for nature, and innovation. The wine is made from 100% Bellone, a local grape in Cori, a city in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is aged in hand-made clay amphoras. Alcohol tips 14% abv and the retail price is $30.  

This wine is a pale yellow, with some light frizzante showing on the sides of the glass. The nose shows a floral aspect, with notes of apricot, mango, lemon, and lanolin. The palate is just as complex, with citrus minerality, salinity, and a nutty flavor. The acidity is middling, but on the brighter side of it. The wine finishes long and savory. It will be a nice pair with shrimp or crab. 

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Italian Wine: The Cesanese Grape From Lazio

The Cesanese grape is thought to be indigenous to the Italian region of Lazio. The red grape has a long history there, dating back to the winemaking of the Romans. Today, the Cesanese grape is primarily found in Lazio, and rarely outside of the area.

Lazio is home not only to Rome, but to Casale del Giglio. Vintner Antonio Santarelli and Winemaker Paolo Tiefenthaler got 14 awards recently for their concoctions. They dedicated those awards to the Italian region they call home, Lazio.

The Cesanese grape ripens late and is usually not harvested until October. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv. I purchased their 2022 Cesanese Rosso for $23 at Eataly in Los Angeles.

This wine is very dark. It looks that way and it smells that way, too. The nose offers a funky, earthy, dare I say barnyard-y package of aromas. The fruit that is there, the blackberry, currant, and black plum, is muted and dwarfed by the savory smells. Tar, creosote, forest floor, and cigars are the main event. The palate bears much more fruit. Flavors of dark berry, black currant, plum, black cherry, elderberry and black Mission fig all vie for attention. The mouthfeel is fairly elegant, which is surprising after the brute force of the nose. Fine tannins and a gentle acidity will make a nice pairing with meatballs in a Bolognese sauce or sautéed mushrooms. 

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