"The Quintodecimo winery is located in the mountainous heart of Irpinia within the Taurasi growing area. The vineyards span from 400 meters above sea level in Mirabella Eclano, to Tufo and, finally, Lapio, at 600 meters above sea level. The project was established in 2001 by Prof. Luigi Moio who, in his spare time, is also one of the leading consulting enologists working in the south of Italy, and a specialist on the native varieties and terroirs of Campania. Quintodecimo, however, is his pride and joy, as well as the place where he can be free to experiment on and perfect his own wines. From the vine-by-vine and organic practices followed in the vineyards, to the nearly-clinical cleanliness and precision in the cellar, down to the hand-tailored packaging that the wines arrive in; nothing at this estate is taken lightly. Luigi Moio sees his style as one that crosses the finesse and elegance of Burgundy with the power of Bordeaux, and I can’t argue with that. Yet somehow, he accomplishes this while maintaining a core of varietal purity at the heart of each of his wines. The portfolio spans all of Campania’s most well-known varieties; Fiano (Exultet), Greco (Jaune d'Arles), Falanghina (Via del Campo), Aglianico (Terra d’Eclano, a multi-vineyard expression), as well as his two single-vineyard Taurasi (Vigna Grande Cerzito and Vigna Quintodecimo). The most impressive thing about this range from year to year is how it manages to blend power and richness with purity and elegance. In nearly every vintage, the wines possess an early appeal; yet each and every one of them, both red and white, have the capacity to last and excel through cellaring." - Eric Guido, Vinous, Jan/2022
"Every place in Italy has a producer who somehow manages to capture both the tradition and spirit of their region and add a polish (not quite international) that takes the wines to an entirely new level. In Campania, that is without a doubt Professor Luigi Moio of Quintodecimo... The wines are of the absolute highest caliber and very much at home on the world stage. However, they are far from inexpensive. What readers are paying for is extreme care in the vineyards (all organic and sustainable), the cellar, the hand-tailored experience, the perfectly manicured packaging and, of course, some of the top wines being made in Campania today. This house is not just about Aglianico either. The Falanghina Via del Campo, Fiano di Avellino Exultet and Greco di Tufo Giallo d'Arles are not to be missed. Quintodecimo’s take on all three would impress just about any palate. The whites offer fantastic varietal purity, at extremely reasonable prices." - Eric Guido, Vinous, Jun/2023
Azienda Agricola Quintodecimo was established in 2001 by Luigi Moio and Laura Di Marzio. It is located on a hill at Mirabella Eclano, in Campania region, very close to Taurasi. The name origins from the toponym Quintum Decimum, wich in the early 8th century A.D. identified the hamlet arising from the ancient municipium of Aeclanum. Based in the mountains of Taurasi, Campania, Quintodecimo is an estate producer of indigenous wines that seeks to give sense of place through perfect siting, organic farming, and high quality winemaking.
Owners Luigi Moio, a renowned enologist and Professor of Enology at Naples University, and his wife Laura, are credited with elevating Southern Italian varietals to an elite stature. Luigi Moio's vision for Quintodecimo came through experiences with his family's winery, his passion for higth quality wines. Working at his family winery as a child, Moio learned all about the business of winemaking. When he entered college in the 1980s, he faced a tough choice: to pursue the Italian wine business-which, at the time, had no interest in aromatics-or to pursue aromatics in some other area. He decided to focus on food aromatics through agricultural science, where he quickly excelled, earning his PhD and moving to France to conduce food and wine aromatics research at the National Agricultural Research Institute in Burgundy. It was outside the lab in France, however, that Moio had his epiphany about wine aromatics. He found that French winemakers achieved far more elegant and aromatic wines by paying extraordinary attention to the vineyards. He gained conviction about the importance of site selection, soil, and farming practices. When it came to winemaking, he favored with method that enhance aromatics and aging potential, including selective extraction, controlled maceration, malolactic fermentation and aging in new oak barrels-all of which he tested rigorously. Moio's chance to apply his winemaking ideas came in 1994 when an Italian winery recruited him to be the winemaker. The italian wine industry had awoken to the idea of new vineyard and winemaking techniques and Moio was the ideal leader. Thus began his new career as winemaking consultant, and catapulted him onto the stage of Italy's new elite winemakers. He also became Professor of Enology at Naples University where he continues his scientific work.
With his vision brewing for an aesthetic project he could control completely, in 2001 Moio and his wife started Quintodecimo. They chose an idyllic site in Campania with high elevation and consistent growing condition that allow long hang time, distinguishing it from mostly warmer areas in Southern Italy. Aglianico, Falanghina, Fiano and Greco are planted on 12 hectares. The vineyards are single cru, with grapes perfectly matched to their soil and growing conditions. Farming is organic. Winemaking is vigneron-ispired.
"Each year, I so look forward to tasting these exciting wines from Quintodecimo and share the sheer happiness they bring me." - Monica Larner for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Aug/2021