Sphaeranera Pallagrello Nero Cacciagalli, Biodynamic wine, rare grape, fermented and matured in terracotta amphorae, full bodied and structured. Pallagrello is a rare grape only gorwn in Campania and in particular in the region of Caserta. The grape has a long history in the region and, like the similarly named Pallagrello bianco, was one the varieties planted in 1775 by architect and engineer Luigi Vanvitelli in the fan-shaped Vigna del Ventaglio vineyard created for the royal palace of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (Ferdinand IV of Naples) in Caserta. Following the phylloxera epidemic of the mid-19th century and the economic devastation of the World Wars of the early 20th century, plantings of Pallagrello Nero declined greatly and the variety was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered growing in an abandoned Campanian vineyard in the 1990s. This lovely example displays the minerality of the volcanic soils and freshness of natural fermentation in Amphorae, a wine for long ageing, it is structured and has rich ripe fruit in spades.
Is Vegan? | Yes |
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Bottle Size | 750ml |
Production Method | Biodynamic, Natural, Organic |
Producer | I Cacciagalli |
Country | Italy |
Region | Campania, Italy |
Vintage | 2018 |
Wine Type | Red Wine |
Wine Style | Full bodied |
Grape | Pallagrello Nero |
Terroir | Volcanic, limy-clay with good organic matter |
Alcohol | 13.5% abv |
Maturation | 1 year in clay Amphora |
Total Sulphur | Below 50mg/l |
Annual Production | 0 - 5,000 bottles |
Ageing Potential | 15 years |
Food Matching | Red Meat, Rich Sauces |
Neil –
I first tried this wine on holiday in southern Italy, the bar owner recommended it saying it was from an old grape variety which was thought to have died out, but some small producers had resurrected the vines. It does have complex flavours but is very drinkable and not at all heavy