Winemaker Notes
"There's a smoky tea quality to the tannins in this earthy, fragrant red. It takes several minutes for the bright cherry and strawberry aromas to unfold, the sweet flavor checked by gripping tannins. A supple and delightful wine to pair with wild mushroom gnocchi."
-Wine & Spirits
"The 2007 Gaglioppo literally bursts from the glass with super-ripe dark cherries that are beautifully balanced by the wine's freshness. It offers remarkable clarity and transparency for a wine from the south. This beautiful, elegant wine is all about finesse. It is highly recommended. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010. Calabria is another of the regions of Southern Italy that is off the beaten track. Tenuta Statti is a great starting point for readers who want to explore the wines of the area."
-Wine Advocate
"Medium ruby. The vinous nose is redolent of grapey redcurrant and flowers. Rich and ripe on the palate, with candied violet, raspberry and sour red cherry flavors. Not the last work in complexity but I find this absolutely irresistible. It also avoids the dusty and at times rustic tannins that are all too common in gaglioppo wines. A terrific buy."
-International Wine Cellar
Professional Ratings
Gaglioppo likes warm and dry climates and elevation. Some of the better examples of Gaglioppo grow in Ciro, Calabria where high altitude protects the berries from the intense hot climate of the plains. It makes a dry, red wine expressive of wild berry, black plum, earth and violets. Somm Secret—If you like the reds of Mt. Etna in Sicily, you will like Gaglioppo. It is in fact a sibling of Mt. Etna’s Nerello Mascalese grape.
As the toe of Italy’s boot and closer in proximity to Sicily than any other mainland Italian region, Calabria holds much much in common with the island by way of climate, landscape and agriculture. Calabria’s principal red grape, Gaglioppo, is also a close relative of Sicily’s famous Nerello Mascalese.
Cirò, Calabria’s most valuable appellation, covers gently sloped hills on the Ionian Sea coast. Its wines are based on the indigenous red, Gaglioppo, and can be made as single varietal wines or blended with Cabernet or Merlot. Also of interest from Calabria is the red Maglioppo, likely a relative of Sangiovese. Whites here are made of Greco.