A lovely dinner with Bruno de Conciliis

A few weeks ago, we had the honor and pleasure of holding a dinner at Il Posto Accanto for 25 esteemed guests. The guest of honor was Bruno de Conciliis, winemaker and owner of Viticoltori De Conciliis, a fairly small estate in the heart of the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, in Campania.
The theme of the dinner was of course Campania, and the from the hands of Beatrice, Chef/Owner of Il Bagatto and Il Posto Accanto (she also happens to be my sister) came a 4-course meal that was to die for.
I have written about Bruno's wines many times, as I value his winery as the most accurate representative of the area in Campania. Through the years Bruno gained enough confidence and experience to gradually lower the use of sulfites in his wines, and in 2007, after five years of conversion, he received the certification reserved for organic growers. That night, we drank several of Bruno's wines, among which I would say that the Naima showed the biggest change from the year before. Naima is made from 100 % Aglianico, and is aged in Barriques for 12 months. The difference stemmed from the use of second passage wood (old) more than new wood; it gave the wine more depth, elegance and complexity. Hearing the guests' comments on it was one of the major highlights of the night, along with talk over the Antece, a Fiano vinified with a long maceration on the skins that results in a darker, full bodied and, if you can believe it, tannic white wine; I must say, it was as unique as the hand that produce it.
The food was brilliant and the guests barely left a bite on the plates. In fact, I was impressed by their capability to finish every succulent dish, all great pairings with the wines; like the Si:kjube, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Timballino di Riso al Ragu` e Piselli, or the Zero, an exquisite Aglianico with the Braciolina di Maiale... just thinking about it I got hungry and thirsty again.
A note on the Si:kjube: it is not one of Bruno's favorites, because "it's too easy to work with Cabernet Sauvignon, and l like the challenge." The grapes come from a neighboring vineyard, and Bruno helps the owner make the wine. In exchange, he keeps some of the production and labels it under his logo. According to Bruno, he will bottle the Si:kjube for another year before calling it quits.
The Zero, rather, is Bruno's golden child. The grapes come from old vines in different vineyards of De Conciliis properties. Composed of, 100% Aglianico, the wine is dark like ink with astringent tannins, an intense bouquet of dark fruits, a long finish and long aging potential; we opened the 2003 vintage and the juice was still little closed, showing aging capabilities.
Before the desserts we had the chance to try De Conciliis's latest creation, IBS. This wine is a blend of 80% Aglianico and 20% Fiano, made to be released in 2009. 600 bottles comprise the total production, so it was a so-called barrel sample, because the juices are still aging in the barrique. It was very good, but still with a long road ahead before it is able to express its full potential.
Dulcis in fundo, as the Latin scholars used to say, the desserts made their appearance along with the Ka! and Ra! De Conciliis dessert wines. The Ka! is a Moscato Bianco Passito, full with great flavors of flowers and peaches. The Ra! is an Aglianico passito, which somehow shows up like a Recioto, with herbal flavors over a bed of luscious red fruits.
It was a lovely night and I would like to thank all the guests, and of course Bruno de Conciliis and Dino Tantawi of Vignaioli Imports for their enlightening presence.
Buona Bevuta a Tutti