A soft, medium-bodied Molise red from Camillo de Lellis, blending coastal Montepulciano with inland Aglianico under the Biferno DOC. Blueberry, cherry and gentle oak lead a fruit-forward, drink-young palate made for everyday Italian food.
The merchant note and more than 4,000 Vivino reviews agree on the outline: blueberry and cherry fruit, a vanilla and sweet-oak lift, and a soft, medium-bodied palate. The Montepulciano base carries the fruit while the Aglianico share adds a darker, leathery edge.
Blueberry and cherry lead, lifted by the vanilla and sweet-oak note that 474 Vivino reviewers single out. Behind the fruit sits a faint violet and dried-herb edge typical of coastal Montepulciano from the Biferno hills.
Black cherry
Blackberry
Blueberry
Plum
Leather
Oak
Liquorice
VanillaSoft and medium-bodied, as the merchant note promises, with ripe red and dark fruit carried by Montepulciano's bright acidity. The 10 to 20 percent Aglianico, grown on warmer inland Molise sites, firms the middle with blackberry, leather and a little grip.
Moderate length, closing on liquorice, gentle oak and a savoury, leathery note rather than heavy tannin.
An honest, fruit-forward everyday Molise red that drinkers reward with a 4.0 average across more than 4,000 Vivino ratings. It is the standard Camillo de Lellis bottling, best enjoyed young with food, and strong value at around 11 pounds.
Two vintages are listed, the 2019 and the 2020, both at roughly 10.57 to 12 pounds a bottle through the UK merchants tracked here. At that price a 4.0-star Biferno Rosso is one of Molise's better-value everyday reds.
Scored against the Italian Wine Fit Score, this bottle is strongest on everyday drinking, value and beginner-friendliness. At about 11 pounds for a soft, fruit-forward Molise red, it is an easy midweek choice rather than a cellar or special-occasion wine.
Medium-bodied red with fresh Montepulciano acidity and soft tannin; a flexible match for tomato-led pasta, pizza, lamb and roast beef.
Low price, gentle structure and drink-now fruit make this a natural midweek red rather than a bottle to save.
Soft, fruit-forward and easy to like, built on the approachable indigenous Montepulciano grape; an undemanding introduction to Molise red wine.
At about 10.57 to 12 pounds for a 4.0-star Southern Italian red, it sits below the going rate for comparable DOC reds and over-delivers for the price.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Biferno denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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Both years come from the same Adriatic-facing Campobasso vineyards, where warm, dry summers ripen Montepulciano fully. The 2019 is the rounder, riper of the two; the 2020 is a touch fresher and more red-fruited. Neither is built for the cellar, so drink them while the fruit is bright.
A slightly cooler, balanced vintage with fresher red fruit and bright acidity. Approachable young and best through roughly 2027.
A warm, dry Adriatic season gave ripe, rounded Montepulciano fruit and soft tannins. Drinking well now and holding through about 2026.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
The Biferno disciplinare, set in 1983 and revised in 2006, requires 70 to 80 percent Montepulciano with 10 to 20 percent Aglianico, grown only in the province of Campobasso on vineyards below 500 metres. The denomination takes its name from the Biferno river that runs through the zone.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Biferno is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Biferno falls within Molise , covering Campobasso.
Pooling fruit from many coastal Campobasso growers spreads cost and keeps the shelf price near 11 pounds rather than estate-bottled levels.
Montepulciano is the high-yielding Adriatic workhorse grape, so the dominant component of the wine is abundant and inexpensive to source.
The lower-yielding Aglianico fraction adds structure and a little cost compared with a pure Montepulciano bottling.
The vanilla and oak note that 474 Vivino reviewers flag points to barrel time, which ties up cellar space and adds to the price.
Still wine at 13 percent ABV carries 2.67 pounds of HMRC duty at 2026 rates plus 20 percent VAT, together roughly 4.50 pounds of the 11 pound price.
Molise lacks the prestige premium of Tuscan or Piedmont reds, so even a well-rated Biferno stays in value territory.
Dishes that complement this wine
This is a medium-bodied red with fresh acidity and gentle grip, so it leans to tomato-led pasta, lamb and roast beef rather than delicate plates. Vivino's community pairs it most often with beef, lamb and pasta, which matches its structure well.
Montepulciano keeps fresh acidity that cuts through tomato's own tang and the richness of melted mozzarella, so the wine stays lively rather than flat beside a red sauce.
Try with: Pizza Margherita · Pasta arrabbiata · Pizza Marinara · More pairings →
A medium-bodied red with soft tannin matches the weight of a slow lamb ragu without overpowering it, and the wine's own Molise roots make it a natural regional partner.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · Cotoletta alla bolognese · More pairings →
Gentle tannins firm up against the protein and char of roast or grilled beef, while ripe blueberry and cherry fruit keep the match approachable. Vivino's community pairs this wine with beef more than any other dish.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Roast beef · Grilled beef · More pairings →
The wine's acidity and light grip slice through the fat and salt of a mature Pecorino, refreshing the palate between bites.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Aged Pecorino · More pairings →
Soft tannin and bright fruit balance the salt and fat of Molise and Abruzzo cured meats, a classic regional aperitivo match.
Try with: Prosciutto · Salami · Capocollo
The soft tannins and modest alcohol are no match for searing chilli heat, which strips the fruit and exaggerates any oak. Skip very spicy curries and oak-heavy blockbusters that bury this gentle Molise red.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Sichuan hotpot · Nashville hot chicken · Pairing guide →
This is the standard Biferno Rosso, not the Riserva that Camillo de Lellis ages for three years. It is made for early enjoyment, with soft tannins and ripe fruit that are at their best within a few years of the vintage rather than after long cellaring.
Peak around 2023. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
The standard bottling, not the three-year Riserva; soft tannin and ripe fruit mean it is best within a few years of the vintage, not for long cellaring.
£10.57 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:01 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is mostly Montepulciano, 70 to 80 percent of the Biferno DOC blend, with 10 to 20 percent Aglianico and a small softening share of Trebbiano. Camillo de Lellis draws the Montepulciano from cooler coastal vineyards and the Aglianico from warmer sites inland.
Blueberry, cherry and a touch of vanilla oak on the nose, then a soft, medium-bodied palate of red and dark fruit with a gentle leather and liquorice edge. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.0 across more than 4,000 reviews, most flagging the ripe fruit and easy texture.
Biferno is a DOC in Molise, on Italy's Adriatic coast just south of Abruzzo. The growing zone sits entirely in the province of Campobasso, on calcareous hills and sandy coastal slopes below 500 metres.
Yes. This is the standard bottling, built for early drinking rather than long ageing. The 2019 and 2020 are both drinking well now and will hold through roughly 2026 to 2027.
Its bright acidity and soft tannin suit tomato-led pasta and pizza, lamb ragu, roast and grilled beef, and aged sheep's cheese such as Pecorino. Vivino's community most often pairs it with beef, lamb and pasta.
In the UK it sells for about 10.57 to 12 pounds a bottle across the listed merchants, which makes a 4.0-star Southern Italian red strong value for everyday drinking.
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