Tenuta Scuotto: Putting Irpinia's Quintessential Characteristics in the Bottle
Oi Ni took me to Tenuta Scuotto a few years ago. It was not like the other Fiano wines I've tried. The complexity is impressive and as it ages more, it bears some similarities to Riesling. Its personality starts with the structure and acidity then moves you towards layers of ripe fruits and petroleum aromas. It is that kind of wine that's waiting to narrate a story.
The story of Tenuta Scuotto was born when Neapolitan Eduardo Scuotto, a father of three, bought a piece of land in Lapio in 2008. Together with his son Adolfo, they pursued a family dream of producing wines of qualitative nature. There was a focus on Fiano, a grape that Eduardo is particularly fond of and at the same time the variety that finds the apex of its expressions from the territory's pedoclimatic peculiarities. With Monte Tuoro standing right in front, the vineyards, at 500 meters asl, enjoy an ideal microclimate, with a beneficial diurnal temperature between day and night, constant winds that help ripen the grapes, and a fundamental sheltering from the undesirable climatic factors. The soil has a varied composition of magmatic substrate which were formed during two massive eruptions of Mount Vesuvius mixed with layers of sand and clay.
It
is located in a hilly area in Irpinia in the Campania region of Italy,
where vine cultivation had been practiced as early as 12th century BC by
the Etruscans and Greeks, that the Romans made a maximum expansion of
the vineyards during their period. Irpinia is a magnificent weave work
of landscape of mountains, uncontaminated nature and expanses of
cultivated land. It is the home to three important wine appellations or
DOCGs of the Campania region: Taurasi DOCG, Fiano di Avellino DOCG and
Greco di Tufo DOCG.
With the collaboration of consulting oenologist Angelo Valentino, they were able to attain more than what they had dreamed of in a short period of time. Awards and recognition came pouring in, especially for Oi Ni. Most importantly, that specific wine has a sentimental meaning to Eduardo and Adolfo. Meaning "Hey Boy" in Neapolitan, it's an affectionate expression that's often used by fathers to address their sons.
"Volevo dedicarmi a questa terra solo perché mi piaceva, lo volevo fare per me stesso…poi ho avuto una visione, ci ho visto un’attività e la possibilità di non godere da solo del frutto del mio lavoro, ma di poterlo condividere con tutti coloro che hanno la voglia di emozionarsi ancora." (I wanted to dedicate myself to this land just because I liked it, I wanted to do it for myself … then I had a vision, I saw an activity and the possibility of not enjoying the fruit of my work alone, but being able to share it with everyone who have the desire to get excited again.) - Eduardo Scuotto
Greco di Tufo DOCG 2019
Obtained from 100% Greco grapes, fermented in steel tanks for 30 days at a controlled temperature of 12°C with indigenous yeasts and aged in the bottle for 3 months. Straw yellow in color with an nose that has an intense expressive nose of yellow field flowers, crispy pear, apple, mature yellow peach, exotic fruits, hay, lemon peel and hint of wet stone. In the mouth, the acidity is pronounced, sapid, enveloping, fruity with evident exotic fruits, as it ends with persistence as acidity fades softly. 90/100
Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2018
Made from 100% Fiano, grapes cultivated at around 480 meters asl, fermented at a controlled temperature of 12° in steel tanks and aged on the lees for 2 months. Bright straw yellow in color with an intense and complex nose of toasted hazelnuts, lemon peel, subtle white flowers, fresh sage and stone. The mouth is full with a good acidic backbone, sapid, finishes with persistence and harmonious. 91/100
Oi Nì 2013
Obtained from 100% Fiano grapes that were harvested lightly later than the other by about two weeks, at the beginning of November, compared to the other Fiano label, fermented in steel tanks with indigenous yeasts for about a week then moved to 25 hectoliter Austrian oak casks for 12 months at a controlled low temperature of 7°C in contact with fine lees then another 6 months in the bottle. Golden straw yellow in color with an intense and ample complexity in the nose of volcanic stone, honey, dried yellow stone fruits, hay, ripe exotic fruits, toasted hazelnuts, wild fennel, rose petals and layers of smokiness. Chewy in the mouth, with a pronounced acidity, crushed stone, ripe exotic fruits and yellow stone fruits, herbs and stays in the mouth with persistence. The olfactory and gustatory characteristics are pronounced as it shows great potential for evolution. 94/100
Obtained from a selection of 100% Aglianico grapes grown in the Paternopoli area where the temperature variations contribute to the preservation of the aromas and foster sugar development, aged in barrique of second passage for 12 months. In the glass, it presents a full ruby red color with reflections of garnet. The nose is intense and complex with a starting with floral aromas of violets, ripe dark stone fruits of plums, cherries, sea salt while in the palate it has dried tea leaves, dark stone fruits in spirit, pepper, soft, enveloping, sapid, with perceptible tannins and ends with flavors of raisins and tea leaves. 90/100
Redo Aglianico IGP 2019
The latest label of Tenuta Scuotto that is dedicated to Eduardo by his three kids. Obtained from 100% Aglianico, fermented with indigenous yeasts for 18 days, aged in new medium toasted barrique for 8 months then 6 months in the bottle. In the glass it presents a ruby red color with purple highlights, with a marked nose of violets with blueberries, red berries, marasca cherries, licorice, pepper, stone, red orange, sea salt, while in the mouth it has good acidity, ripe tannins, good structure and well-equilibrated. 92/100
Obtained from 100% Aglianico grapes, aged in barrique for 12 months and another 24 months in the bottle. Ruby red in color with purple highlights, an intense and complex nose with dark and red berries, cherries, spices, while the mouth is smooth, velvety tannins and good structure. 91/100
Tenuta Scuotto
Via Campomarino, 2-3
83030, Lapio (AV), Italy
Tel: +39 08251851965 / +39 3488710158
Website: http://www.tenutascuotto.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tenutascuotto/
