At a few meters from the excavations of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, Bosco De ‘Medici is a resort with a vineyard that aims to value – both nationally and internationally – the wines of the Vesuvio terroir. Inspired by Burgundy.
The company
After the brief digression in the Piedmont hills to the Roero Arneis, Ritmodivino returns to his beloved Campania and, specifically, to one of the most representative cities in the world: the ancient Pompeii.
We arrive at Bosco De ‘Medici where we are welcomed by the head of communication and marketing Antonio Russo, who personally takes care of carrying out the company’s wine project.
Bosco De ‘Medici stands right on one of the ancient access roads to the ancient city, a few dozen meters from a funerary mausoleum of a Roman patrician family, not too far from the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii.
The farm was founded on the initiative of the Palomba family, which deals not only with hospitality and catering, but also with the enhancement of Vesuvian products, including the wine and the Piennolo cherry tomatoes.
In Bosco De ‘Medici Vesuvius is a protagonist in everything.
The only active volcano in Continental Europe, towering over the company, which boasts several plots of land on the south side, between the municipalities of Boscotrecase, Terzigno and – in fact – Pompeii.
The company mission is to give prestige to the Vesuvian territory, which is unique in the world: Bosco de ‘Medici does it by creating wines that are the full expression of this terroir.
The vines
The vines grown here at Bosco De ‘Medici are those of the Vesuvian tradition: the Caprettone, the Piedirosso, the Falanghina and the Aglianico.
His friend Antonio tells us that – to fully exploit the Vesuvius territory – Bosco De ‘Medici tries to work in the most natural way possible. The land is treated according to biodynamic techniques and the 2018 was the fourth overall harvest of the company.
Another project in the pipeline started only two years ago is the production of wines in amphora, according to ancient Roman tradition.
The wines are first fermented in steel and then transferred to buried terracotta amphorae inside an old eighteenth century farmhouse currently under renovation.
The tasting
After visiting the structure and the vineyards, we move on to the tasting.
In the company of Antonio we taste the company wines, paired with the dishes of the chef Gioacchino Nocera.
Let’s start with LAVAFLAVA Lachryma Christi del Vesuvio DOC, a blend of Caprettone and Falanghina that has a beautiful straw yellow color, crystalline and lively. To the nose it releases hints of citrus and yellow flowers, accompanied by a decisive mineral note typical of the wines of the area. The taste, acidity and sapidity characterize it and give it an interesting persistence.
The POMPEII Pompeiano Bianco IGT is, instead, Caprettone in purity. Scents of white fruit and flowers emerge from the glass.On the palate we find them accompanied by a decisive freshness, although with a greater roundness than the Lavaflava.
At this point we pass to DRESSEL 19.2. This is an amphora wine made from Caprettone grapes from the company’s cru vineyard, the “Rotonda”. The name is a tribute to Heinrich Dressel, an archaeologist and one of the leading experts in terracotta amphorae in the world.
The wine macerates in the amphorae for 21 days with the skins and stalks. Then the refinement continues in steel. The result is a wine with an amber color, lively, with hints of honey and the characteristic note of the clay. A bet for the company of sure success.
The last wine to taste is LAVARUBRA Lachryma Christi del Vesuvio DOC Rosso. Obtained from a blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso, it is a fresh wine, ready to drink, with the hints of red fruits. A wine of good persistence and intensity.
In conclusion
Despite being a young company, the bet of Bosco De ‘Medici to highlight Vesuvius and Pompeii is proving to be a winner.
Like incandescent lava that molds itself and molds itself in various ways, it continually renews itself trying to combine its youth with respect for tradition, always squeezing the eye – however – to innovation.
