Italy is full of delightful surprises. We might guess that most people have never tasted a wine from Molise. Only the postage-stamp appellation of Valle d’Aosta in the mountainous northwest makes less wine than this sparsely populated pocket of Italy’s Adriatic coast. And you won’t find a raft of press cuttings, either. Don’t let this fool you–this is a wonderful place to grow and make delicious wine, especially if you know what you are doing! Alessio Di Majo is renowned for producing some of Italy’s more exciting and charming regional vino. In their seminal book, Vino Italiano, Bastianich and Lynch describe Di Majo as the lone wolf of Molise. He was the first in this region to really roll up his sleeves, taking a pedantic approach to yields and listening to advice from renowned oenologists outside the region. He changed trellising from pergola to archetto (typical of Tuscany), and in 1997, his vineyards were certified organic at a time when organic growers in Italy were rare as hen’s teeth. Di Majo’s vineyards hug the lower-lying slopes of sand and clay that drape from the Apennine Mountains down towards the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea (what Molise lacks in international recognition, it more than makes up for in natural beauty). Molise’s palette of grape varieties borrows from both Abruzzo to the north and Puglia and Campania to the south, so you are just as likely to come across a fragrant white from Falanghina as you are a red from Montepulciano or Aglianico. When we first found this grower many moons ago, we wrote, “There is nothing better than discovering a high-quality, authentic producer making delicious wines, so pure and full of character at very good prices. Di Majo Norante ticks all these boxes and more.” Not much has changed since 2009 (including the price), and we have been delighted to ship every vintage since. The new release is as delicious as we have tasted.