“Munazei”, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso

Casa Setaro’s red Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio is produced entirely from the local Piedirosso variety, planted at altitudes of 250 to 300 meters in the communes of Bosco del Monaco and Tirone della Guardia. These ungrafted vines produce a wine which deftly combines earth-derived notes of smoke and salt with cleanly rendered dark-red fruits, all on a lithe, gently tannic, spice-marked frame. Like the Aglianico, “Munazei” Rosso undergoes a three-day pre-fermentation maceration, but this is raised entirely in stainless steel for six months without any barrel-aging. It too emphasizes drive and freshness, and would even take well to a light chill.