2018 Ippolito 1845 Ripe del Falco Ciro Riserva Gaglioppo 6pk 6x750ml

Established in 1845, Ippolito is Calabria's oldest winery — five generations of vine-dressers working the sun-soaked hills and plains near the Ionian Sea. The firm sits in the historic center of Ciro Marina, the beating heart of Calabrian wine country, where the indigenous Gaglioppo grape has been king for centuries.

This Riserva comes from the oldest, highest parcels of the Mancuso vineyard — forty-year-old vines trained in the traditional albarellone style, the last block harvested in the entire zone. Ippolito picks late, in the second half of October, chasing ripeness without sacrificing structure.

The fruit gets a fifteen-day cold soak to pull aromatics without bitter tannin, then ferments in cement vats. After that, the wine rests in second- and third-passage barriques for a year, then ages in the cellar for ten years before release. Produced only in the best vintages.

The 2018 shows ruby-red with garnet edges, the color of a wine that's been through something. The nose delivers dried rose petals, wild berries, licorice, leather, tobacco, and warm spice — the kind of complexity that comes from old vines and patient winemaking.

The palate is intense and warm, built around fine-grained tannins that structure without gripping. The finish runs long and savory.