Ahhh memories. When the times were simpler and Lamoresca's Filippo Rizzo and his wife Nancy came to visit and poured their very special wines for a packed house at P&V Newtown... that was a good time!
These complex, expressive, wild-edged wines come from a humble agriturismo and a mixed-agriculture paradise smack bang in the middle of the island of Sicily. The five hectares that make up Azienda Agricola Lamoresca sit on a hillock in Sicily’s interior set amongst rugged farmlands, ancient olive trees, wilds of cactus, with barely a human in sight. It's a bloody paradise if you ask us. Fillippo and family work their land by hand, grow an amazing veggie patch and raise some of Italy’s most historic olive tree species (indeed, Lamoresca is named for them). The place reverberates with organic energy and produces some of Italy’s most distinct and interesting/delicious/excellent wines.
All the wines represent minimal intervention to the max with an overall approach that sees grapes picked only when completely ripe, gently pressed and then left completely alone. Fillippo learned a lot of his craft from his pal up the volcano, Frank Cornelissen.
Fillippo has a special touch with Sicilian native grape varieties, nerocapitano (frappato), nero d’avola and nero mascalese and mainly focuses on red wines from his estate (though we’re eagerly awaiting the release of his Bianco, a unique vermentino!). He seeks only to make the best expression from each vintage in a considered and practical way, meaning we don’t always see the same wines each year. This release it's his Nerocapitano and Rosato, two of our favourite spring wines from Lamoresca.
Rosato is vivacious, fresh and surprisingly complex for the style, with cherry juice and blood orange characters hitched to brambly herbs and peppery spice. It’s textural, detailed and outstanding, reminiscent and high quality, like his pal Frank’s Susucaru. Nerocapitano is the local name for the variety frappato and hits our glass at medium weight, savoury and dusty with a web of fine tannins, shows with plum, black olive, graphite mineral characters and a light juiciness for good measure. It’s a beautiful, compelling medium weight red.
Rare, beautiful wines that will set your heart on fire and take you to that special place in the middle of Nowhere, Sicily. Even just for a few hours.
