I Pentri Kerres Piedirosso 2011

Kerres is 100% Piedirosso from I Pentri's estate vineyards in the Sannio Beneventano, bottled under the Beneventano IGT. The grapes come from terraced hillside plots across Guardia Sanframondi, Castelvenere, and Vitulano, situated between Monte Taburno and the southeastern edge of the Matese range. Soils here are calcareous clay and marly limestone, distinct from the volcanic soils associated with Piedirosso grown closer to Vesuvius or the Campi Flegrei.

Piedirosso is an ancient Campanian variety whose name refers to the red-colored pedicels of its grape clusters, resembling a pigeon's foot. In the Sannio, it produces deeper-colored, more structured wines than in coastal zones, with greater tannin presence and resinous, smoky aromatic nuances alongside the variety's signature red fruit and floral character. The 2011 vintage received a 92-point score on Wine-Searcher, one of the stronger showings across the Kerres lineup.

In the cellar, I Pentri macerate the Piedirosso in stainless steel, then age the wine in French oak for approximately one year. The wine is fermented with wild yeasts, bottled unfined and unfiltered. No chemical agents or mechanical processes are used in winemaking.

Expect a dry, medium-bodied red with ruby color, lifted acidity, and soft but present tannins. Aromas run toward raspberry, sour cherry, violet, dried herbs, and a mineral-earthy undercurrent. At this stage of bottle age, tertiary notes of tobacco and earth have likely integrated alongside the fruit.