Over the past year, I've tasted Vallisassoli's 2018 five times.
Each time, the wine blew me away.
Few wines that I've tasted from southern Italy can match its structure, vivacity, and fascination.
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Beyond just situating it within the south Italy, I should say that by any standards this is a truly exciting wine. Vallisassoli's 33/33/33 is beautifully composed, but what makes it stand out is its mysterious depth and soulfulness.
The name of the wine (33/33/33) refers to it being composed of equal parts of three native grapes of Italy's Campania region, Greco, Fiano, and Coda di Volpe. They are harvested from a single co-planted, organic, and biodynamic vineyard that was planted by owner Paolo Clemente's father in 1987.
Many of the region's producers bottle their wines quickly focusing on capturing a brisk crispness. Paolo Clemente's approach is different. Following the lead of the late Antoine Gaita of Villa Diamante, a benchmark producer where Paolo worked prior to returning to his family's domaine, Paolo doesn't rush his wines to market.
This approach allows him to tease out an incredible amount of nuance and layers from the wine. While possessing plenty of energy, the 33/33/33 has a powerful earthbound minerality with smokey notes. It's a wine of haunting resonance and finely calibrated balance.
Selling southern Italian white wine for around $50 per bottle is not an easy task. The reality is that we offer a similarly priced white Burgundy and sell it for four times as much. With that said, this wine is so compelling that it practically demanded an offer to introduce the wine to people. It's a pleasure to offer.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare
Crush Wine & Spirits
Special 3-pack pricing for a limited time. Use Code: Campania18