Catalanesca Montesomma Vesuvio explosion of flavor

With intense colors, intoxicating aromas and marked minerality, the white wines from volcanic territories absorb all the peculiarities of those unique soils, giving us irreplicable wines.
In this article we will focus in particular on Vesuvian wines that are winning the favor of consumers who are left enraptured with every sip.
The success of their taste is indeed due to the type of mineral-rich terroir including potassium, which positively influences the sugar content of the grapes, and phosphorus, which imparts finesse to the wine.

Surprising and never predictable, with a complexity that certainly does not stop at the classic savory sensations, among the wines of this area those produced by small producers deserve particular attention, as through their excellence they enhance their territory of origin.

Traveling along the Strada del vino del Vesuvio, one arrives at Pollena Trocchia, a municipality in the province of Naples that is home to the Monte Somma Vesuvio winery.

The Monte Somma complex, an integral part of Vesuvio, features a unique terroir composed of lava and sand; loose and dusty soils that formed as the lava solidified and, over the years, gradually stratified.
The sun intensely blesses these lands, which enjoy an enviable microclimate ideal for Catalanesca, imported by Alfonso D'Aragona in the mid-1400s.

Then as now, this white-berried grape variety makes this territory its own, capturing all its complexity and minerality that burst vibrantly in the glass.

Monte Somma Vesuvio, a winery that rises on the slopes of Monte Somma, produces interesting white wines from Catalanesca grapes classified as IGP. These are wines capable of mentally transporting the taster to those evocative volcanic territories simply by inhaling their intense aromas. A true discovery for those who taste them for the first time.

My tasting sets out to explore this indigenous grape variety capable of even undergoing barrique aging, a characteristic not common to all white grape varieties. 100% Catalanesca also for the passito version – a true meditation wine... three products with distinct personalities and evolutions even though they originate from the same grape variety.

Català catalanesca IGP del monte somma 2012
Catalanesca in purity.
It rests in steel for three months and completes its aging in the bottle.
Visual examination: The color is golden yellow with still slightly greenish reflections.
Olfactory examination: On the nose, white-fleshed fruit accompanied by a pleasant sweet floral note. Lively minerality that almost recalls volcanic stone.
Gustatory examination: On the palate it is savory and persistent in its vegetal notes.

Català IGP catalanesca del monte somma Linea Silver 2012
Catalanesca in purity.
I emphasize the fact that this grape variety handles barrique aging with excellent results, giving us a very long-lived wine. In this case it rests twelve months in wood before spending another two months in the bottle.
Visual examination: From the very first glance the color appears golden yellow.
Olfactory examination: Immediately on the nose one detects hints of toasting with an almost fumé background, which do not however overwhelm the aromas of ripe fruit. A pleasant minerality recurs, as in all the wines.
Gustatory examination: On the palate, savory notes and body guide us into an almond-tinged persistence.

Torre merlata Catalanesca IGP del monte somma
Catalanesca in purity, which also lends itself to the passito version; the natural drying process takes place in the Torre merlata owned by the winery.
It rests twelve months in barrique and two months in the bottle.
Visual examination: Amber yellow that retains intact golden reflections.
Olfactory examination: On the nose it reveals not overly sweet or overripe notes, remaining on delicate hints of acacia honey, which go hand in hand with a delicious barley candy. Very intense aromas that nonetheless fail to obscure this recurring mineral tone.
Gustatory examination: On the palate it offers soft and pleasant sensations that extend into a long finish.

Catalanesca, Catalana or Uva Catalana. Montesomma has found a way to craft three absolutely must-try products from it – whites with sunshine inside.