“Quite a wine…” – Wine Advocate

Understatement of the year, perhaps.

Forbes once noted wines from this region “rarely receive the attention they so richly deserve.”

With 97 WA points backing it, plus our besotted seal of approval, and a FAT 70% discount - we FULLY recognize this wine for what it is.

A remarkable example that you can put this up against most any of the comparable $250 flagship wines in its class.

It hails from “one of the most dynamic estates in Italy” per the Wine Advocate again. With a 70% OFF price drop it’s also one of the best values among those estates. Fine wine for the people, considering that other cult Merlots in Italy (Masseto) or elsewhere (Pétrus) can cost $1,000-$5,000.

Still a bit lost? We’re in Irpinia, with a Super-Campanian today.

Forbes points out “To many, the strongest images of Campania are that of Napoli (and its marvelous pizzerie), the ancient ruins of Pompeii, and of course, the stunning seaside of the Amalfi Coast and the Sorrentino Peninsula. These are all world-famous attractions of course, but they tend to overshadow this region’s wine industry; several of the country’s greatest whites are produced in Campania, along with a few remarkable reds. Yet, these wines rarely receive the attention they so richly deserve. Enter Antonio Capaldo, proprietor of Feudi di San Gregorio in the small village of Sorbo Serpico, who is arguably the most important and diligent promoter of Campanian wines…”

It could be argued a flagship rarity such as Pàtrimo deserves that $200+ price.

Yet seeing it here, before your very eyes at a more reasonable $75 is an historic first.

Back to Wine Advocate for the fascinating background here: “Pàtrimo is one of the icon wines of Southern Italy. This single-vineyard Merlot was first produced in 1999 under the celebrated leadership of enologists Riccardo Cotarella. Not only has the wine survived important winery changes over the years, but it has also embraced them. This is because Pàtrimo remains one of the most consistent and steady wines in the ample Feudi di San Gregorio portfolio.”

And they conclude, “The story of how Merlot got to this remote area of Southern Italy has for long intrigued Pàtrimo’s diehard fans. During the Fascist years of the ‘30s and ‘40s, field workers migrated from the Veneto to work in Campania. They brought grape cuttings with them, favoring early ripening varieties that were easy to farm… Legend said that Pàtrimo was planted to a mysterious and unknown grape that had survived since antiquity. With scientific testing, it was discovered that the variety was indeed Merlot.”

While connoisseurs and scientists decide on the origins, this will long be sold out.

97 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “I tasted this wine twice over the course of six months, in advance of its commercial release. The 2016 Pàtrimo is quite a wine and needs all the extra bottle time it can get. Indeed, I would suggest putting it at the back of your cellar for another 5 years (at least). It opens to a black and impenetrable appearance. This is an elaborate and beautifully constructed wine that is put together piece by piece like a jigsaw puzzle. When viewed as a whole, all those tiny pieces create a beautiful portrait of a grape as the protagonist and of a region as its context. This full-bodied Merlot has made important strides since I first tasted it. Today, it is more expansive and exuberant. It shows lots of volume and depth with elegance and finesse. Drink 2021-2040.”