Ampeleia Alicante Toscana 2016

Press 2 • July 2025 Direct Press Selection

Ampeleia may be familiar to some from their "Unlitro" bottling that is still one of the best gateway wines into natural wine. However, unlike some popular natural wines that are essentially just savvy branding covering up a fairly conventional large scale operation, Ampeleia is the real thing. Started in 2002 with a team that included the legendary Elisabetta Foradori, it has been led by Marco Tait for two decades. He, Elisabetta, and others chose Maremma in coastal Tuscany for the project because it was largely untouched by farming and is surrounded by UNESCO national forests. If you want to do natural farming, it helps to not worry about neighbors spraying chemicals right next to you. They have been fully biodynamic since 2009, and the 54 different vineyard parecels are spread out among the forests, olive groves, animal pastures, and vegetable gardens. The whole operation is 120 hectares but only 35 are under vine. Every vineyard site is vinified separately. Marco seems to be intimately familiar with every detail and is deeply into the harmony and health that biodynamics have brought to the land — though he began as a skeptic.

The 2016 Alicante is a recent library release and it proves the serious nature of Ampeleia that gets overshadowed by the quaffable Unlitro's omnipresence. Alicante Nero is actually a local subvariant of Grenache. There is a lovely balance of ripe fruit and darker secondary notes. Raspberry, white pepper, clove, and undertones of sea brine and leather. Not tannic, but it sports an earthier umami and a haunting complexity. Versatile and finessed enough for hot weather grilling or heartier, richer dishes. Jonathan Kemp