2022 Alois – Donna Paolina, Greco di Tufo DOCG, Campania, Italy.
The lovely and mineral driven Alois – Donna Paolina, Greco di Tufo, sourced from the Contrada Marotta vineyard, is excellent example of this ancient grape with delicate white flower aromatics, bright citrusy fruit, along with its steely/stony personality, is a nice crisply focused lighter framed and quaffable white wine. The Alois Estate, which produces an exceptional value priced collection of terroir influenced bottlings, based in Campania’s Pontelatone, is located in Caserta area just northeast of Naples. Set in an Amphitheater-like setting of rolling hills near the inactive volcano of Roccamonfina and the Matese Mountains, Alois has a prime spot to produce serious and quality wines, with their Aglianico and Fiano based wines being some of my favorites here. The farming practices the Alois family employs, according to the winery, is not as of yet fully organic, but certified 100% sustainable. The Alois family originally known for their textiles and had good reputation as quality silk producers, but eventually turned to viticulture in the twentieth century and now are well respected within the wine community, with their passion for the traditions and history in Campania.
The Donna Paolina 2022 is made up of 100% Greco di Tufo from organically farmed 20-year-old vines that are grown on sandy soils, with a beneficial southeastern exposure. The hand harvested grapes are exclusively fermented entirely in stainless steel tanks, all to preserve the naturally acidity and to promote fresh detailing. The fermentation and aging is quick, always lasting only a few months, after which the wine then rests in the bottle for another three months before release. Alois has put a lot of passion into the historic native varietals, and as they note, in 1992, Michele and his son Massimo Alois, partnered up with the University of Naples in a quest to rediscover some the almost extinct ancient varieties that were popular with the Romans and Bourbons. The Bourbon era of Southern Italy was back in the 1800s and a time of rejuvenated interest in the wines of Campania. The Alois family have grafted pre-phylloxera cuttings of Casavecchia, Pallagrello Nero and Pallagrello Bianco, all almost forgotten grapes, and have included them in their more recent lineup of wines with great success, and I like Pallagrello Bianco a lot and recommend exploring these unique Alois wines. I’ve been following the Alois winery for almost a decade now and before this one I most recently reviewed their lovely Caulino Falanghina, and I hope to dig into more soon.
($20 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive