Pallagrello Bianco 'Privo l'Eretico' Alepa 2021

The Pallagrello Bianco “Privo l'Eretico” is an extremely original and delightful white wine, as well as one of the best expressions of the rare Campanian grape variety. When talking about Pallagrello, one immediately thinks of the more (but still too little) known red grape variety typical of Caserta, tending to overlook its white berry variant. Certainly, those who do not make this mistake are Paola Riccio, founder of the Alepa winery, which has 3 hectares in Caserta cultivated with the utmost respect for the vineyard and the surrounding environment. The vines, which are about 35 years old, are divided between the two varieties of Pallagrello with a small planting of Cabernet Sauvignon, and are cultivated without chemical or synthetic substances. All great expressions of the territory, although we admit that for this label we have a sort of preference. Both because it is very good and because the grape variety is little considered. Underdog.

The wine “Privo l'Eretico” is obtained from pure Pallagrello Bianco grapes from a planting from 1986. Non-invasive viticulture and manual harvesting are the prelude to a careful but non-intrusive vinification, with fermentation that occurs strictly spontaneously. 8 days of maceration on the skins and aging for 12 months in chestnut barrels and stainless steel tanks. Before bottling, the liquid is neither filtered nor clarified.

The orange wine “Privo l'Eretico” is stunning already from its color, a mix of amber and gold that illuminates the glass. An unusual and vibrant nose, rich but not baroque, where dehydrated apricot, cinnamon, orange peel, and honey distinctly stand out. So delicious that it almost invites you to bite it, and the tasting is an obvious consequence. Full and material sip, always perfectly balanced between volume and acid-salty push. Long persistence, for an unmissable unicum in the cellars of enthusiasts or simply the curious.