Cariglio Terre Nobili Lidia Matera 2016/17

Cariglio Terre Nobili Lidia Matera, organic wine, 100% Magliocco, rare grape from Calabria, Rich, round, oozing southern intensity and sweet spice. If you going to a dinner party and you want to take a bottle that doesn't break the bank but will have everyone raising an eyebrow when they taste it then go for Cariglio. The flavour and texture is unique. It is both modern in its full body and up front fruitiness but also traditional Italian with its high acidity and provenance, one of the old autocthonous varieties of southern Italy that nobody has heard of! Beautifully balanced for a wine of such intensity, this is for those who just can t resist big red wines and hearty steaks!

Lidia Matera is quite a character, she greets you with a big smile, a warm embrace and always very keen to pour her wine for you to taste. Her small wine farm is based in the Valle del Crati, a small bowl shaped valley in the northern part of Calabria where summer temperatures are will peak at close to 40 degrees and the sun shines constantly. Here Lidia grows local varieties Magliocco Dolce and Canino and also Nerello Mascalese, a grape more associated with Mount Etna in Sicily. Her vineyard is organic and she achieves a level of ripeness which produces exceptionally rich and opulent wines which in the best years also have a creaminess and mouth feel which makes very impressive. The sweet flavours of south come through, dark fruits, prune, blackberry, and sweet spices, vanilla, notes of liquorice and chocolate can be found in all the wines. These are full bodied wines for those who like big bold flavours and deep colours. The Cariglio and Ipazia are fresher as they don't see any oak, the Alarico is bigger and bolder with more toastiness. Lidia also makes a very full bodied white from Greco Bianco which with some Moroccan style food with spices and fruits is superb.