I have known the dynamic Ilaria Petitto, CEO of Donnachiara Winery, for a number of years and have visited her winery on a few occasions. Recently Ilaria was in New York and invited me to a luncheon and tasting of her wines with the intriguing title of “Long Live Aglianico-Based Wines, Taurasi the King of Southern Italy.” The event was held at Gramercy Tavern in New York’s Flatiron District.
Illaria is a leading supporter of the wines of Campania and the wines of Irpinia in particular and is the Vice President of the Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini dell’Irpinia. She is also involved with Women in Wine.
Ilaria spoke about the Donnachiara Winery and their wines.
The winery is located in Montefalcione in the Irpinia area near Avellino. There are woods of chestnut, oak and juniper that alternate with olive trees, vines and fruit trees.
The modern winery was completed in 2005 but the vineyards have been in the family for over 150 years. Ilaria’s mother, Chiara Petitto, is a big supporter of her work in the winery, which is named after her mother’s grandmother, whom everyone called “Donna” Chiara as a sign of respect. Modern production began in 2005 . Donnachiara is a family business
The consulting oenologist at this time is the legendary Riccardo Cotarella.
It is the philosophy of the winery to preserve the traditional grape varieties of the local territory and to keep the character of the wines from being lost to the standardization of the wines on the market today. They also follow “Misura CE n.1257/99 – “Produzione integrata della Regione Campania,” limiting the use of some active ingredients that are harmful to the environment.
Agilianco
There are 3 biotypes of Aglianico: Taurasi, Vulture and Taburno. Aglianico has an uncle-nephew relationship to Syrah.
Aglianico is an ancient grape variety. In Italy, Aglianico was first planted near modern day Pozzuoli and from there it spread to other parts of Campania. Pliny the Elder (d.79AD) wrote about it in his Natural History. Wine made from Aglianico was called Falernian and was highly regarded by the Romans. The Aglianico grape was known as Elenico (Italian for Greek) until the 15 Century when it began to be called Aglianico. The name might also come from vita hellenica, Latin for Greek wine. The debate still goes on.
The Aglianico grape prefers volcanic soil and grows at altitudes of 300 to 500 meters. It is a black late-ripening grape. Aglianico is also used as a blending grape in Campania. It is at its best in Irpinia. Irpinia Aglianico was granted DOC in 2005. It must contain 85% Aglianico and 15% other red grapes.
Greco di Tufo (yellow), Finao di Avelliano(green) and Taurasi (red). DOCG Irpinia
Taurasi
There are many who believe that the three great grape varieties in Italy are Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Aglianico. Wines made from the Aglianico grape are full-bodied with good fruit, tannins, and hints of blackberries, leather and smoke.
Aglianico reaches its highest expression in the form of Taurasi, one of Italy’s great red wines, which can age for many years.
The Taurasi DOCG was formed in 1993 and was southern Italy’s first DOCG. Taurasi is a medieval city located within the larger Iripinia DOC and within the province of Avellino, Taurasi’s name comes from taurus, the mythical bull that was the symbol for the ancient Samnite (pre-Roman) occupants.
Taurasi DOCG and Taurasi Riserva DOCG by law must be 85% Aglianico but most producers make it with 100% Aglianico. Taurasi must age for 3 years before release and have a minimum of 12% alcohol. At least one of the 3 years must be in oak barrels. The Riserva must be aged for at least 4 years of which 18 months must be in oak barrels. 12.5% is the minimum alcohol.
There are 17 communes where Taurasi is produced and they cover different soils, vineyard altitudes and microclimates.
Campania Aglianico IGT 2022 made from 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay, the training system is guyot and the harvest takes place in the first half of November. Malolatic fermentation takes place in barriques for 3 months. Ilaria said this is a fresh and pleasant wine due to a small number of “follature” (pumping overs) and to a short period of maceration on the skins. Malolactic fermentation is in barriques for 3 months. It is a wine that is elegant, warm and perfect with many different foods. The wine is fruity with hints of blackberries, strawberries and a touch of toast. This is a wine that should be drunk young.
Irpinia Aglianico DOC 2021. The soil is clay, the training system is guyot and the harvest takes place the first two weeks in November. Fermentation takes place at 68 to 71F in stainless steel tanks for 15 days. Maturation is on the skins for 10 days. Malolactic fermentation is in barriques. The wine is full and complex with hints of prune, berries, spice and fig. Drink after 5 years or more.
Taurasi DOCG 2020 Made from 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay and volcanic. Training system is guyot. There are 4,000 plants per hectare and harvest takes place the first week of September. The wine is aged for 12 months in 225-liter French barriques and remains in the bottle for another 24 months before release. The use of barrique is subtle and does not mask the character of the wine. This is a big complex wine with berry aromas and flavors, hints of cherry, plum, and a touch of cacao and coffee. In general this vintage had a slightly lower crop than normal, but grapes were of good quality with nice acidity.
Taurasi DOCG 2019 Made from 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay and volcanic. Training system is guyot. There are 4,000 plants per hectare and harvest takes place the first half of of November. The wine is aged for 12 months in 225-liter French barriques and remains in the bottle for another 24 months before release. The use of barrique is subtle and does not mask the character of the wine. This is a big complex wine with berry aromas and flavors, hints of blueberries, plum, bitter chocolate a touch of leather and a hint of smoke.
Taurasi Riserva DOCG 2019 made from 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay, training system is guyot and the harvest takes place the first half of November. This wine is produced only in the best vintages. There is manual grape picking, a careful cluster selection followed by a soft pressing of the grapes. Maturation is on the skins for 20 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barriques. This is a full intense wine with hints of blackberry, blueberry a hint of smoke and coffee notes. It is on its way to becoming a great wine with a little more bottle age. The wine will last for at least 15 to 20 years.
2019 was an outstanding vintage with wonderful climatic conditions. There was a large crop and the wines have very good acidity.The wine has won many awards.
Taurasi Riserva DOCG 2018 made from 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay, training system is guyot and the harvest takes place the first half of November. This one is produced only in the best vintages. There is manual grape picking, a careful cluster selection followed by a soft pressing of the grapes. Maturation is on the skins for 20 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barriques. This is a wine with hints of blackberry, plum, cherry and coffee notes.
The wines 2018 in general are unbalanced, with low acidity and the harvest was very small in size. However I did not find this with the 2018 Donnachiara Taurasi. While it may not last as long as the 2019, I would not drink it for at least 10 to 12 years.
Donnachiara also produces excellent white wines: Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino and Falanghina, all of which I have tasted and enjoyed on many occasions.
Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2021, 100% Fiano. The soil is chalky clay and there are 4,400 plants per hectare. The vines are guyot trained and the harvest takes place in the second half of October. There is a soft pressing of the grapes that are quickly cooled to 50F for 4 to 6 hours. Fermentation is at 57 to 60F in steel tanks for 15 days. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. This is a delicate and elegant wine with hints of pear, almonds, citrus fruit and floral. This grape variety was brought to Campania by the Ancient Greeks. The Romans called it vitis apiana – the Latin root for bees is apiana. Even today bees are attracted to the Fiano grape and Ilaria said you can see the honey bees in the vineyards in Montefalcione.
Fiano di Avellino
Greco di Tufo DOCG 2020 made from 100% Greco. The soil is tuffaceous and the training system is guyot. There are 3,300 plants per hectare and the harvest takes place the second half of October. A soft pressing of selected grapes takes place and after that a cold decanting of the must in steel vats for 15 days. Fermentation is at 57 to 60F. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. This is an elegant wine with good structure with hints of pear, apricot, citrus and a touch of pineapple.
Greco di Tufo “Aletheia” 2020, DOCG 100% Greco di Tufo Only the best grapes from the Santa Paolina vineyard in the Tufa zone are used. The harvest is by hand during the coolest parts of the day, the second half of October. The soil is tuffaceous and the training system is guyot. Cryomaceration is at 42-46F to preserve the aroma, prevent oxidation and enhance the characteristics of the grapes. There is a soft pressing of the grapes using a pneumatic press and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for about 15 days. The fermented must is left to age on the lees for about a year with weekly batonnage. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. The wine remains in the bottle for a period of time before release. This is an intense wine with hints of citrus fruit, pear, apricot and a hint of hazelnuts and pineapple.
With the white wines we had Cavatelli di Grano Antico “Senatore Cappelli” con fagioli Spollichini e Cozze, cavatelli pasta made with high protein flour, fresh beans and mussels. All four the wines were a great combination with this dish.
Taurasi DOCG 2018. The soil is clay and the training system is guyot. There are 4,000 plants per hectare and harvest takes place the first week of November. The wine is aged for 12 months in 225-liter French barriques and remains in the bottle for another 24 months before release. The wine has hints of blackberry, plum, cherry and a touch of cacao. The use of barrique is subtle and did not mask the character of the wine. Taurasi is a wine that can age for many years and I have had Taurasi the has been over 40 years old that was a pleasure to drink.
With the red wine we had Tacchino del “Ringraziamento” ripeno di Castagne e Salsiccia con friatielli saltati in padella, Thanksgiving turkey stuffed with chestnuts and sausage with sauteed broccoli rabe.
We started with a salad made with arugula, avocado, tomatoes, tuna, hard cooked eggs and anchovies.
Then we had sardines Beccafico, a Sicilian recipe meaning “figpecker style,” named for a bird. I am not sure why it has that name, but the rolled up sardines were stuffed with breadcrumbs, pine nuts, currants, parsley, lemon and mint and baked. 
With this we had the Beneventano Falanghina 2018 IGT Donnachiara made from 100% Falanghina. The vineyard is the Torre Cuso, the best location for Falanghina. The soil is volcanic, chalky clay, the vines are 16 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 2,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed before pressing. Cold fermentation is in stainless steel and there is extended maceration. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, nice acidity and good minerality and a pleasure to drink.
Roasted Eggplant and Peppers
Rosemary Focaccia
On the plate
We finished with Michele’s homemade blueberry and cantaloupe ices
Duck with Green Noodles
Beneventano Falanghina IGT 2017 Donnachiara made from 100% Falanghina. The vineyard is the Torre Cuso, the best location for Falanghina. The soil is volcanic, chalky clay, the vines are 16 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 2,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed before pressing. Cold fermentation is in stainless steel and there is extended maceration. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, nice acidity and good minerality. It is one of my favorite white wines and my friend always has some chilled and ready to drink
Braising the lamb shanks
Mashed potatoes
On the plate, braised lamb shanks with mashed potatoes and sauteed escarole.
Here’s another picture because it looked so good and tasted so delicious.
Brunello di Montalcino 1999 Lisini made from 100% Sangiovese. The are 3,300 plants per hectare in the old vineyard and 5, 400 plants in the newer vineyard at 300 to 350 meters. The grapes are hand harvested and a selection takes place. Fermentation and maceration is in stainless steel with skin contact for 20 t0 26 days. Aging is in large Slavonian oak barrels of 20 to 50 ha for 42 months. The wine is aged another 6 to 8 months in bottle before release. This is a traditional Brunello with hints of red and black fruit, blueberries and rasperries and a touch of violet. It was drinking extremely well.
Taurasi “Radici” 1996 Mastroberardino made from 100% Aglianico. The vineyards for Taurasi “Radici” are located on two hills, Mirabella vineyard at 500 meters and the Montemarano vineyard at 550 meters. Because of its position on the hill and its altitude, the temperature at the Montemarano vineyard was much colder and the grapes are picked a little later. Harvest is from the end of October into the beginning of November. The vinification is the classic one for red wine, long maceration with skin contact at controlled temperatures. The wine is aged for 24 months in French barriques and Slovenian oak barrels and remains in the bottle for 24 months before release. The barriques were second and third passage. This is a wine with hints of black cherry, plum, spice and a touch of leather.
We finished the dinner with Single Malt Scotch Whiskey from Ardmore Distillery to keep us warm.
We started with Champagne Alfred Gratien Brut Rosè NV made from 45% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Meunier and 15%. The Pinot Noir is added as a still wine. After 6 months of cellaring in 228 liter oak casks, the must is transformed into wine. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. The cuvee is bottled with sugar and yeast to allow for a secondary fermentation in the bottle and it remains in the cellar for 36 months. Then the disgorging takes place where the lees and sediment are removed from the bottle. It is topped up with more wine and some sugar and left to rest for a few more months in the cellar. It has good red fruit with hints of raspberry and strawberries and touch of roses.
To accompany the wine, we had Octopus and Potato Salad. It’s a favorite of ours that we always enjoy in Rome.
Sourdough Bread was a good accompaniment.
For our main course, Michele roasted two large branzini with artichokes.
With the roasted fish and artichokes, we had polenta with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Greco di Tufo “ Nova Serra” 2013 Mastroberadino made from 100% Greco di Tufo from the 33 acre Novaserra vineyard at 1,815 feet. The soil is clay and calcareous along the profile volcanic presence. There are 1,600 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot Espalier. The vineyard was replanted in 1999 and the exposure is southwest. The harvest is in October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for 15 days. The wine remains on the lees for 5 months before it is bottled and in bottle for 3 months before release. This is a wine with rich ripe fruit and hints of pear, peach, apricot and a touch of citrus and sage.
Dessert was a Chocolate Ginger Cake with Confit Citrus and whipped Creme Fraiche brought by our friends. The cake turned out kind of messy, but absolutely delicious. I could have gotten a better picture, but was in too much of a hurry to dig in. Not wanting the crumbles to go to waste, I nibbled away at more than my share with a small grappa after the meal.
