Nestled between Abruzzo to the north and Campania to the south, Molise is one of Italy’s smallest and most obscure wine regions. Although the wines from this mountainous and sparsely populated area are not very well known outside of Italy, Molise—which gained D.O.C expatriation from Abruzzo as recently as the 1980s—has already shown an undeniable aptitude for producing some of Italy’s more colourful and exciting regional Vino. In a nutshell, the reds, made from Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Aglianico are supple, agile and elegantly fruited; while the whites from Fiano, Falanghina and Greco are aromatic, textural and pulpy-fresh.

The undisputed king of Molise, Alessio di Majo is determined to express the terroir of the region by utilizing traditional varieties and the best terroirs combined with clean, modern winemaking. The viticulture is organic, which is remarkable given the prices of the wines. Di Majo has long believed such farming practices result in more complex and more appetising wines. While it hasn’t been an easy ride, the results are quite obviously worth it and are there to taste.

The wines sit proudly in the Fruit=Terroir school; no ‘rustic’, characters here but still a very pronounced sense of place. This is a colourful and vivid set of organic wines, grown from old vines planted on the wild, sunny hillsides between the Apennines and the Adriatic that offers great value.