More aromatically restrained than Antonio's other whites, the wine shows itself with a rounded, textural mouthfeel that is typical of the grape. Lemon and grapefruit citrus with riper stone fruits, a straw-like quality and a saline undertone, leading to green almond in the finish. The last of the vines to be harvested, it shows the greater body and depth of Antonio's whites, in harmony with his trademark lightness of touch.
A direct-press of 100% Falanghina planted over rocky limestone at 350 metres of elevation. Fermented and raised in steel, the wine is bottled the following spring with no additions.
We first became aware of Antonio and his wine after a heady visit to Massimo and Antonella of Partida Creus, two Italians resident in Tarragona, Spain, back in 2019. Some time before this, Antonio was running his own pizzaria just outside Barcelona, which they would frequent when in the area, becoming friends. At this point, Antonio’s father was at the helm of the family vineyards back home in Campania, farming biodynamically but making the wine a little more conventionally and selling to the local co-op. However, Antonio would make a little of his own natural wine on the side each year - after pouring it for Massimo and Antonella to get a bit of feedback, they saw the potential of the wine and suggested that he seriously consider making it as more than just a hobby-project to drink with friends. After working in restaurants most of his adult life, he was ready for a change and wanted to get out of the city, back to Italy and more importantly, out into nature. He returned to Cerreto Sannita in 2018 and took over from his retiring father, continuing the good vineyard work, but creating a new range of wines made under his own name with the strict philosophy of grapes and only grapes. It took us until late 2021 to track Antonio down and eventually taste for ourselves. It was worth the wait!
The vines sit around 350m above sea level and roughly 60km from the Tyrrhenian coastline, planted over rocky limestone and clay soils. This altitude and location has its own unique microclimate; towards Italy's south but much cooler and with good annual rainfall and a maritime influence bringing humid easterly winds from over the sea during the ripening season and fog in the cooler months. As such, Gismondi wines display a real delicacy and freshness over the more robust, structured style associated with this part of Italy. The 2 hectares of vines are planted mainly with Malvasia di Candia and Falanghina for the whites and a mixture of Sangiovese, Merlot & Freisa for the red. At another lower altitude site, Antonio works with friends who grow a little of the pink-skinned Trebbiano Rosa variety. He makes six different wines, mainly white, all of which have a breezy, weightless quality with lilting yellow citrus, floral aromas and an underlying saline imprint. The one red wine, Crucella, is a bright-fruited, but structured cherry bomb, a world away from the heavier Aglianico-based wines of the region. They are uplifting and vital.
