Tenuta San Francesco, 'E Iss' Tintore Prephilloxera IGT, Campania, Italy, 2018

Overview of the Wine
It is a small ampelographic treasure chest that has been put together over the years by the winery's four founding partners Vincenzo D'Avino, Luigi Giordano, Gaetano and Generoso Bove. In their 16 hectares of vineyard cultivated in the impervious Tramonti district, on different plots, they guard the native varieties of the Amalfi Coast: pepella, ginestra, biancazita, biancatenera, falanghina for the whites, fragrant, fresh and with a marine edge; tintore, aglianico and piedirosso-from old, pre-phylloxera vineyards-for the reds, with great structure and austerity.

In Tramonti, the green heart of the Amalfi Coast, in 2004, four local vinegrowers Gaetano and Generoso Bove, Vincenzo D’Avino and Luigi Giordano founded Tenuta San Francesco in order to revive the long-standing viticultural tradition of the region and their family past.
The Winery is set in the 18th-century family estate and avails of the expert professional advice of Carmine Valentino from Avellino.

Winemaker
Carmine Valentino

Grape / Blend 
100% Tintore Pre-Phylloxera

Origin
Campania, Italy

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Color is deep and dark ruby red with purple hues. Nose is undergrowth, ash, graphite, and blackberry flavors. The palate shows the strong, original, and wild character of Tintore grape. Elegant, deep, smooth, earthy, velvety with a long and persistent finish. A wine with a very long aging potential. 

Pairs well with red meat, game, and aged cheese. 

94 Points - James Suckling (2017 vintage)
Very distinct nose with complex aromas of ripe black-fruit, enriched with notes of spicy charcuterie, wet stones and dried herbs and flowers. Full-bodied palate, where the same level of complexity creates depth and length, ably supported by a framework of medium-grain tannins and bright acidity that keeps everything in focus. From prephylloxera tintore di tramonti vines. Lots going on here, and this will improve with bottle age. Special character here. Try from 2023.