On 13th June we were delighted to join a Campofiorin masterclass with Giacomo Boscaini from Masi wine, hosted by Findlater and Co, where we had a vertical tasting of the range. Giacomo is 7th generation Boscaini, and today the 8th generation are already finding their feet in the soils of Valpolicella. What’s a vertical tasting, some of you may ask. Decanter puts it simply, “A vertical tasting compares a number of wines from a single estate or producer, in which all the wines are produced under the same name or label but come from different years.”
We’ve been lucky enough to attend previous tastings with Masi, and following Campfiorin’s we decided to dive into the Masi history a little deeper, and learn more about one of our favourite producers. So pop the cork on a bottle of Masi and read on.
This iconic Italian winery calls Valpolicella home, where the Boscaini family can trace their viticultural roots back to 1772, when they carried out their first harvest in the Vajo dei Masi vineyards. In 2022 they celebrated the 250th Vajo dei Masi harvest, showing the longevity of this brand is evolving and growing with each generation of the family. During the celebrations, Sandro Boscaini, President of Masi Agricola, gave a little insight into the importance of this momentous occasion,
“This is the story of an inseparable bond of a surname, “Boscaini” and a place name “Vaio dei Masi”, driven by the work of those same members of the family who, over the generations, have cultivated the vines, transformed the grapes into wine and marketed it and, at the same time, by the events involving that original, founding vineyard, how it was acquired and later integrated into ever greater properties, how its name has marked the human and entrepreneurial path taken by my family, through to today’s Masi Agricola S.p.A.”
Over the years Campofiorin has won the hearts of many wine lovers, with adjectives such as round, rich and velvety regularly used to describe its qualities. The wine lies in the sweet spot between classic Valpolicella and Amarone. Wine writer Burton Anderson, who has written extensively on Italian wines (Vino, the Wines and Winemakers of Italy, the Pocket Guide to Italian Wine, Wine Atlas of Italy) gave high praise to Campofiorin,
“Rich, smooth and velvety, yet approachable and versatile at table. Marrying simplicity and grace with strength and majesty. Born in 1964, Campofiorin is one of the world’s best-loved traditional Italian classics, internationally recognised as a ‘wine of stupendous size and complexity’, the creator of a new category of Veneto wines inspired by the Amarone technique.”
Masi are, undoubtedly, masters of Amarone and Ricoito but Campofiorin is another category altogether. It was Guido Boscaini, Sandro’s father who knew they had to be inventive to create a wine less powerful than its Amarone cousins, but still altogether fit for any table or occasion. By using the appassimento method he created a wine that’s globally renowned. Guido first created the wine in 1958; but it wasn’t until 1964 that it went on the market.
During a visit to Masi, celebrating the anniversary of the 200th Masi harvest, journalist Luigi Veronelli tasted Campofiorin and commented “it’s amazing, I want to say to those who claim that I hate wines from Verona, I want to say that I don’t hate them, I hate those winemakers who mistreat them. But you need to come and see what Masi does”.
Originally the wine was made by re-fermenting a wine made from freshly picked grapes on the semi-dried pomace (the remaining pulp/skins left after juice extraction) of the grape varieties first used for Amarone vinification. The grapes that make up the blend are three indigenous varieties Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara.
This technique was later referred to as Ripasso, and then trademarked. The Ripasso process was held in such high regard that many other winemakers started to imitate the method. Sandro Boscaini approached the president of the Chamber of Commerce and said he would happily give the trademark away for free, on the condition that the chamber find a way to regulate the process. So strong was the desire for everyone to make quality wines, he said “if people want to replicate it, at least do it in my fathers way.”
In the 1980s this technique was refined into a double fermentation process, where a wine is made from freshly vinified Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. This wine is then re-fermented with 30% whole, semi-dried grapes that are not used for Amarone production.
It was around this time Masi had stopped using residual pomace, and let the Valpolicella double ferment on withered dried grapes – the appassimento part of the process. The grapes were allowed to dry out for a shorter time, then they were pressed and cleaned with Valpolicella and fermented the wine for one week.
On this day we enjoyed a vertical tasting of Campofiorin. We tasted 1999, 2007, 2012, 2019, and 2020. The 1999 is still drinking so well and still has to reach its peak – simply brilliant. The bottle has undergone a redesign, giving a nod to the brands iconic former label, whilst bringing it forward to the modern day. Raffaele Boscaini, Masi’s Marketing Director explains,
“We have worked on all the elements of the packaging to convey an even more premium positioning. We have also changed the wine itself, to make it even more harmonious, well-rounded and full-bodied, with even greater integral fruitiness. We did this with a small stylistic evolution: delaying the harvest slightly and increasing the percentage of semi-dried grapes used.“
The refreshed label gracing the 2020 vintage is a beautiful blend of the bottles traditional roots and modern aspirations. The bottle still reads the phrase Nectar Angelorum Hominibus, which translates to something along the lines of “angels nectar for all”, and for lovers of Italian wines Masi’s creations are just that.
To me Masi Campfiorin is an all rounder. Picture this, you’re hosting a dinner, or showing up to a party and bringing a bottle. The predicament always arrives, what wine shall you bring? One person loves Tempranillo, the next is a devout Francophile and the other is a total wine novice who just wants to enjoy a glass in peace. For occasions such as this Campofiorin is a winner. It’s got something for everyone in its carefully crafted blend. The budding sommeliers will adore it and the easy to please will love its approachability. Add to this Campofiorin’s rich history and roots in such an influential wine family, with each sip you can almost taste the passage of time. Wine with a story…my favourite kind.
Article by Sinéad Smyth
Campofiorin is available at O’Briens Wine, Donnybrook Fair, Bradleys Cork, Dunnes Stores, Musgraves Kilcock, Der O’Sullivan Fine Foods, McHugh’s, Molloy’s and other good independent outlets.
WINE SPIRIT WOMEN 
One Comment Add yours