Pallagrello Nero 'Riccio' Alepa 2021

Ale.P.A.'s Pallagrello Nero 'Riccio' is an intense and rich red wine originating in the Caserta area and is a real gem for all lovers of ancient native grapes. In fact, it comes from the pure vinification of this ancient red grape variety, which in past centuries enjoyed a great reputation, so much so that it was present in the famous Vigna del Ventaglio vineyard at the Royal Site of San Leucio near the Royal Palace of Caserta. The long ageing process, partially carried out in wood, allows the wine to evolve towards elegant and complex aromas of great charm and persistence.

Ale.P.A.'s red Pallagrello Nero 'Riccio' is one of the flagship labels of this artisanal winery, which operates in the hilly area of Caiazzo. The typically Mediterranean climate, influenced by the gentle breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the predominantly clayey soils, rich in the skeleton, have for centuries been the ideal habitat for Pallagrello Nero, a grape variety that was already highly appreciated in the 18th century at the court of King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon. Thanks to the tenacity and perseverance of a few small producers, this variety has not disappeared completely, and today, we can still get to know and appreciate it. For several decades now, a process of revaluation of the Palagrello Nero has been underway, along with all the native Italian grape varieties, precisely to try to make this little forgotten pearl of our ampelographic heritage known.

The Pallagrello Nero 'Riccio' wine from the Caserta-based winery Ale.P.A. is a wine from Campania that is not only elegant and particularly pleasant on the palate but also very interesting from an ampelographic point of view. In fact, it allows one to taste this ancient indigenous grape variety in purity and to appreciate its good predisposition to ageing in wood. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks using only indigenous yeasts. The wine matures for 20 months, partly in steel tanks and partly in oak tonneaux. The Pallagrello Nero has an intense ruby red colour with slight garnet hues. The olfactory picture is dominated by aromas of small dark berries, hints of underbrush, floral nuances and delicately spicy sensations. On the palate, it has a medium structure, with an elegant sip and a fine tannic texture. The finish is of good taste persistence, with balanced freshness.