L'ARCA

L'Arca is the Casavecchia of Campania Felix — a dark red wine from one of the most romantically mysterious varieties in Italian viticulture, and one of the most compelling arguments for the importance of indigenous variety preservation that the UniqueWines portfolio contains. The Casavecchia grape owes its name to a discovery of almost mythological quality: a stump approximately one metre in diameter found in an old ruin — una casa vecchia — in the municipality of Pontelatone, which is believed to have survived the devastating phylloxera epidemic that swept through European viticulture in the late nineteenth century. This ancient survivor became the foundation of a variety now cultivated with increasing seriousness in Campania.

At Campania Felix, the Casavecchia grows on the biodynamic lavic soils of the Matese — between Vesuvius and Roccamonfina, on lands that the estate describes as original and irreplicable, where vines that would only grow in these specific areas have done so since they were born centuries ago. The biodynamic farming philosophy of the estate ensures that the soil's volcanic richness is fully expressed in the wine.

The ageing protocol mirrors that of Il Tempo: nine months in the estate's characteristic terracotta amphorae and stainless-steel tanks, followed by at least six months in bottle. The wine is produced without the interventions that would standardise its character — it is, like all of the Campania Felix range, a wine of natural expression and genuine individuality.

In the glass, L'Arca presents as deep ruby red with hints of violet — the colour of the Casavecchia in its most concentrated expression. Ripe red fruit and spices emerge on the nose, followed by the particular dark, earthy character that this ancient variety develops on volcanic soil. The elegant and harmonious tannins make it — in the estate's description — a staple for every convivial moment: a wine of substance and warmth that enhances any occasion at the table.

Available through UniqueWines. Iconic labels.