09/10/2026
✨🏆 Marilena. A force of nature. 🍷👑
Every single year, award after award, she can't stop pulling magic from a 1-ha plot in the village of Santa Paolina.
We are happy to celebrate the highest award received for the Picoli Greco di Tufo Riserva by the renowned Italian Sommelier Foundation (Bibenda): 5 bunches 🍇🍇🍇🍇🍇 — Excellent W**e of Italy. 🏅🏆
Picoli is situated at 600 meters (almost 2,000 ft) above sea level, with a northeast exposure allowing a slower phenolic evolution, and pebbly, clay soil with a small component of limestone. A rare Riserva style of this Greco di Tufo. Selection of the grapes, piee de cuve (natural fermentation) using strictly indigenous yeast, élevage on lees (stainless steel — periodic bâtonnage) for a minimum of 12 months, then fining for a minimum of another 12 months in the bottle before release on the market. 🍾 Production: 3,300–4,000.
🚫🙅🏼♂️ Low-to-no intervention w**emaking style. Peach, quince, mineral, and candied citrus vibe to your nose; the acidity and the beautiful austerity of a white w**e that always wanted to be a red (that's how they would describe it in that area) for complexity, structure, and longevity. Lemon and clementine oil with a stunning waxy texture and fruit-rich palate, while the classic almond note lingers around through an amazing, vibrant, and delightful finish.
🇮🇹 The perfect pairing for your great shellfish dish 🦐🦞 or grilled chicken, pollo alla cacciatora (chicken cacciatore), or rabbit alla cacciatora. A match made in heaven with the regional Pasta alla Genovese (onion and beef ragù).
Marilena has, through the years, positioned herself as the landmark for this style in a DOCG appellation made of only 8 villages (some of which barely reach a population of 1k), where often the grape yields used are at 80 quintals (8 tons) per hectare, with Marilena using only 50 quintals (5 tons) per hectare for her Riserva, from her nearly 40-year-old vines.
We, as many in that area like to call her: The Queen 👑 of Greco di Tufo. SIDENOTE: Has anyone tried her even smaller production (1500) single vineyard - Insania Falanghina Irpinia DOC?!! A masterpiece!!✨🍇
