Campania Stories 2026 – Part One

Buyer’s Guide To Campanian Red and Rosato, with Spotlight on Caserta and native Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero, and Casavecchia – By John Szabo MS

The Reggia di Caserta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a universal symbol of Campania’s historical and cultural grandeur, played host to the opening of the 2026 edition of Campania Stories, the presentation of new vintages from the region’s main appellations to national and international specialized press.

I tasted over two hundred wines over the course of a few days in the region this spring, both during winery visits and especially during the sit-down technical tastings organized by Miriade & Partners, the team behind Campania Stories. The annual event has become a highlight for me, not least because Campania is spectacularly beautiful, and the food among the finest in Italy, but the wines, too, are better than ever and now counted among Italy’s best made from a long list of indigenous varieties. That’s a big statement considering over 2000 years of continuous wine production, including the most coveted wines in the Roman Empire, as I explore further below.

This is part one of a two-part series with an in-depth look at three rather rare, ancient Campanian varieties: Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero, and Casavecchia, which were a focus of mine on this particular journey. Below you’ll find a full buyer’s guide to the top-scoring reds and rosés.

Part two features a buyer’s guide to the top sparkling and white wines.

Jump to the Buyer’s Guide:

Casavecchia & Pallagrello Nero
Aglianico
Piedirosso
Red Blends

Spotlight on Caserta: Roman Era Grand Crus

If you want to taste two thousand years of “grand cru” Italian wine, go to the province of Caserta in Campania. The Romans called this corner of the Medio-Alto Casertano the Ager Falernus, and Falernum was the great prestige wine of the late Republic. Pliny lavished praise on it. A wine list still visible on the wall of a tavern in the ruins of Pompeii shows that Falernum commanded four times the price of the day’s regular vino da tavola in 79 C.E. Today, a clutch of estates on the slopes of Monte Massico still trade on the name as Falerno del Massico DOC. The ancient city of Trebula Baliniensis sat just east, near present-day Pontelatone, and some scholars believe Pliny’s Trebulanum, a wine mentioned in the Naturalis Historia, refers to the ancestor of what is now a red wine bottled as Casavecchia.

The story jumps nearly two millennia and lands at the Bourbon court. Ferdinand IV planted sixteen moggi (about five hectares) on the slopes around the Reggia di Caserta in the eighteenth century, including the famous Vigna del Ventaglio at San Leucio — ten radial rows fanning out from a central pavilion, each planted to a different variety. Pallagrello — u pallarel in dialect, the little ball, named for its small, perfectly spherical berries — was the king’s favoured grape, in both bianco and nero.

DNA work has since established that pallagrello bianco is its own variety, distinct from coda di volpe, another ancient Campanian white variety, despite the long-standing confusion in the literature; Pallagrello nero, it should be added, is genetically a separate variety from pallagrello bianco — not, as long assumed, two colour expressions of a single vine like pinot blanc and pinot noir. Casavecchia, meanwhile, traces by tradition to a single survivor vine found near a ruined casa vecchia (“old house”) outside Pontelatone, from which cuttings were taken to propagate the grape anew.

All three varieties had effectively vanished by the mid-twentieth century, and their revival is a recent affair, though they remain confidential in acreage planted. The producers mentioned in this report represent pretty much the totality of production.

The shared thread is volcanic soil. Caserta sits between Roccamonfina to the north and the Phlegrean caldera to the south, and the vineyards here — sandy lapilli, weathered tuff, fragments of pumice — drain hard, ripen the fruit slowly, and stamp the wines with the saline, mineral, slightly bitter signature that runs through everything Campanian. The reds in this section don’t taste like the warm-south reds an outsider might expect. They taste properly volcanic.

Pallagrello Bianco

Readers will find wines from both pallagrello bianco and pallagrello nero under IGT Terre del Volturno, the catch-all designation created in 1995 that covers the southern half of the province of Caserta plus three communes in the province of Napoli and is named for the major river that flows through the area. There is currently no DOC for either grape. A varietal bottling requires a minimum of 85 percent of the named variety, the balance drawn from other grapes authorized for the two provinces, with minimum alcohol set at 12 percent for pallagrello bianco and 11.5 percent for pallagrello nero.

The scale is modest: roughly 95 hectares (some 235 acres) of vineyard declared under the IGT as of 2015, with pallagrello plantings in Caserta totalling about 113 hectares in 2020, and only a couple of dozen producers bottling under the name.

Pallagrello bianco, in the few hands fortunate enough to have some vines, gives a high-acid, herbal-green, properly mineral white — pallagrello-as-vehicle rather than pallagrello-as-billboard, all sapidity and lemon pith and a cool, almost Riesling-like edge when the site is right.

Massimo Alois of Cantine Alois — the regional authority on these local varieties and who produces the finest examples on the market to date — has been running a multi-year aromatic-precursor study with Professor Luigi Moio at the University of Naples, and the analysis confirms what tasting tells you: a slightly bitter undercurrent, citrus shifting toward pompelmo, and anise and fennel through the palate.

Alois vinifies the entry tier in steel and reserves a separate calcareous cru, Morrone, at 370–380 metres on the Trebulani Mountains — a rare non-volcanic site for the variety in an otherwise overwhelmingly volcanic area — for a four-year-aged bottling whose low pH carries the fruit through extended time on the cork.

Giovanni Piccirillo of the family-run Masseria Piccirillo has wagered on a different expression: he is, by his own count, the only producer in Caserta making traditional-method sparkling wine from pure pallagrello bianco (two vintages reviewed, see Campania Stories 2026 part two, Sparkling and Whites). “Prima Gioia Brut” is an impressive wine, with the first release of the 2022 vintage given thirty-six a on the lees (though bottles have been held back for additional ageing), while the 2019 vintage also tasted alongside had been stretched out to seventy-two months on the lees. The learning curve shows the growing understanding of how best to treat pallagrello bianco for sparkling, but it’s clear that the variety’s natural acid load suits the style.

As an obscure side note, the first plantings of the grape outside Italy are recent and from Alois’s own cuttings, as he tells me: a Tuscan family’s Dry Creek estate, Davvero, in Sonoma now has the only pallagrello bianco vineyard in the Western Hemisphere.

Pallagrello Nero

Pallagrello nero is the rarer variety, lower-yielding by pallagrello bianco standards — Alois reports 7–9 tons per hectare for pallagrello bianco, with pallagrello nero typically closer to 4-6.  The spice signature of the nero is sharper than the bianco’s: black pepper as a baseline, white pepper from the cooler sites.

And soils play a decisive role in its textural expression. Its thin skins demand serious sorting and tannins can run green or drying when soils are too heavy or the season is uncooperative.

Andrea Granito at Sclavia trains his almost-fifty-year-old vines on tendone — the old Campanian pergola — on the sandy volcanic flanks of Monticelli at around 230 metres for the bottling called Lucia a Monticelli, named for his daughter Lucia who handles day-to-day cellar operations. The looser soils in this vineyard, formerly known as  Sabbia di Sopra il Bosco (“sand above the woods”), says Granito, give softer tannins than you’d expect from the variety, with the acid line doing the structural work instead. The result is savoury, herbal, amaro-edged, with mountain-herb lift, more wild bitters than concentrated dark fruit.

Casavecchia

Casavecchia, unlike the pallagrellos, does have its own DOC: Casavecchia di Pontelatone DOC. Established in 2011, it covers barely more than 27 hectares across eight communes, though of these, only about 5.5 hectares are planted and in commercial production.

The tiny numbers reflect the agronomic reality: Casavecchia is a tough grape to grow and vinify. It’s very low yielding, just 2-3 tons per hectare, also late-ripening and thick-skinned. It’s easy to make overly rugged and almost as easy to over-extract. Alois, whose excellent, pure Casavecchia Trebulanum (a nod to the Roman cru thought to have been made from Casavecchia) appears in the buyer’s guide below, describes the grape as rustico e generoso — rustic and generous — and that’s about right, generous in the sense of flavour expression and complexity, but potentially overly rustic in texture.

The trouble starts at flowering — the variety carries a chronic fruit-set defect, the male stamens sitting lower than the pistil and failing to dust the ovaries with pollen. “More than fifty percent of the berries dry out and burn,” Alois says of his own bunches, “and the clusters that do form are sparse and light.” It’s virtually impossible to reach the nine tons/hectare yield ceiling of the DOC.

But what does come off the vine naturally in compensation is more resolved, sleek tannins even if abundant — where pallagrello nero’s can drift green or drying, Casavecchia’s are more silky, especially at full ripeness and after several years of ageing. Alois’s Trebulanum gets thirty-six months minimum aging with at least twelve in barrel for the Riserva, released only at the four-year mark. Older bottlings of the wine that I’ve tried, back to 2001 on another recent trip, confirm the variety’s potential ageability.

In terms of flavour, “Casavecchia is more menthol-toned, it tastes more like juniper,” Alois explains, compared with Pallagrello nero’s black or white pepper character. “It depends on the soil, on the territory, on the volcanoes.”

Soil does indeed sharpen the picture: on the area’s clays, Casavecchia’s fruit comes through more generously; on the volcanic soils that dominate the Caserta sites around Pontelatone, fruit is leaner, tannins and structure step forward, and savoury flavours overwhelmingly dominate the profile. “I don’t think our wines lean towards fruit”, says Alois in one of the wine world’s greatest understatements. The historical practice of strengthening Casavecchia with a percentage of aglianico for added fruit (or with Pallagrello nero, with which Casavecchia was often co-planted and vinified as a field blend) has been dropped, with Alois preferring the pure expression.

Giovanni Piccirillo takes a similar to Casavecchia for his I Calaia Terre del Volturno IGT, opting to age in large Slavonian oak casks though for a shorter period than Alois – the 2024 is currently on the market and was tasted this year. It, too, delivers an intense set of aromatics in the pot pourri spectrum, especially the dried florals, in a pleasantly rustic, authentic expression with tannins in need of more time in bottle to soften out.

Sclavia’s latest Granito bottling, on the other hand, has taken the opposite approach to taming the potential ruggedness of Casavecchia in an experimental foray: a five-to-six-day whole berry maceration in the carbonic style, with only six months of ageing in stainless steel, more of a simple “nouveau” style. And the wine is indeed carbonic in profile, all violets and pleasant bitters, light and juicy, and successful as such. If nothing else, it proves the versatility of the variety and that there’s surely much more to explore within its potential range of expression.

Obscure as these ancient varieties are today, they make up a valuable part of the fascinating varietal fabric of Campania, a region so rich in utterly unique specialties with both historical pedigree and high future potential.

Included here is the high-scoring shortlist, plus the Falerno bottles whose lineage runs all the way back to the Ager Falernus.

Buyer’s Guide

Casavecchia and Pallagrello Nero

92 ALOIS Trebulanum 2021, Casavecchia di Pontelatone DOC Riserva

Some interest and depth on the nose, with a broad, dense and fluid palate, fullish and firm in structure but with ample coating of the tannins from dense, desiccated fruit extract — red but mostly black. Peppery fruit lingers nicely on the palate. Solid, dense, age-worthy. 100% casavecchia Riserva from Alois’s estate in Caiazzo, Caserta province, at around 250–350 metres on volcanic soils — the Casavecchia di Pontelatone Riserva DOC requires a minimum of 36 months aging, at least 12 in oak. Tasted April 2026.

91 Sclavia Lucia a Monticelli 2024, Terre del Volturno IGT Pallagrello Nero

Named for Lucia, the daughter who handles day-to-day cellar operations; Monticelli is the mount where this vineyard is located — formerly known as Sabbia di Sopra il Bosco, previously made by Nanni Copé. Almost 50-year-old vines over two hectares. 18 months in used tonneaux, with a small percentage of aglianico. I love the savoury, herbal, amaro-like character of the grape with its mountain herbs. Tannins are fine and grainy — the sandy soils give softer tannins, and acids moderate. Trained on tendone. 95% pallagrello nero, 5% aglianico from Monticelli at around 230 metres on sandy volcanic soils. Tasted April 2026.

90 Masseria Piccirillo I Calaia 2024, Terre del Volturno IGT Casavecchia

Deep, red-purple colour, delivering an intense set of aromatics in the ripe black fruit and peppery spectrum, also pot pourri, especially the florals. I like the density and intensity on offer — the finish is only moderately long but there’s a lot of enjoyment up front in a pleasantly rustic, authentic way. 100% casavecchia from Masseria Piccirillo’s volcanic soils in Caserta province at around 200–300 metres; aged in large Slavonian oak casks. Tasted April 2026.

90 Sclavia Lucia a Monticelli 2020, Terre del Volturno Pallagrello Nero IGT

Evolving, but with that lively, herbal, amaro character of pallagrello. The tannins are a little more drying, even without the aglianico addition. Pure pallagrello nero, 24 months in tonneaux. 100% pallagrello nero from the Monticelli vineyard. Tasted April 2026.

90 Sclavia Granito 2024, Terre del Volturno Casavecchia IGT

Named for Andrea Granito, co-owner, not the soil type. Stainless steel only, 6 months, given a short maceration of 5–6 days with whole berries, and there’s a notable carbonic character — violet fruitiness with pleasant bitters on the finish. 100% casavecchia from Sclavia’s estate in Caserta province. Tasted April 2026.

Aglianico

94 VILLA MATILDE AVALLONE Vigna Camarato 2018, Falerno del Massico DOC Rosso Riserva

Maturing yet still lively and vibrant, also evidently ambitious with its pronounced, high-quality oak influence, and sappy, dense, concentrated nature. Ripeness is clearly high and length is excellent. Best now–2038. 100% aglianico from Villa Matilde’s historic Vigna Camarato single vineyard on the slopes of Monte Massico at 200–300 metres; aged 18 months in French oak barriques (30% new) and 12 months in bottle before release. Tasted April 2026.

94 VILLA MATILDE AVALLONE Fusonero 2019, Taurasi DOCG

Evolving nicely now, the wood has meshed in Villa Matilde’s 2019 from the Fusonero vineyard in the Taurasi DOCG at around 500 metres; aged 24 months in French oak barriques (30% new) and 12 months in bottle — a ripe and generously proportioned, supple and plush example of aglianico, soft at this stage, thanks to optimum tannin ripeness. Best from now–2036 or so. Terrific stuff. Tasted April 2026.

94 TENUTE CAPALDO – FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO Gulielmus 2019, Taurasi DOCG Riserva (Stem Wine Group)

Clean and perfumed, elegant and refined — a silky-firm-smooth example of aglianico, always precise and impeccably made. There’s an extra degree of finesse in this 2019 Gulielmus bottling in the premium Feudi Studi range. Fruit is pure and mostly red, and wood influence, while present in some of the resinous tones, is well integrated. Fine length and depth. 100% aglianico from a selection of the finest parcels in the Taurasi DOCG Riserva category; aged 48+ months of which at least 18 in French oak barriques. Tasted April 2026.

94 Tenuta Cavalier Pepe La Loggia del Cavaliere 2017, Taurasi DOCG Riserva

Lovely evolved and complex perfume, with wood nicely digested and integrated at this point. The palate is lovely and silky, fluid, with ripe tannins and broad, enveloping texture, and long, perfumed finish. Drinking well now though should hold easily another decade. 100% aglianico Riserva from Cavalier Pepe’s La Loggia single vineyard in Luogosano at 500–550 metres; aged 48 months of which at least 18 in French oak barriques (30% new), plus 12 months in bottle. Tasted April 2026.

93 Sorrentino Vesuvio Don Paolo 2008, Aglianico Pompeiano IGT

Named for Giuseppe Sorrentino’s father Paolo and first made in 2001, when it was called “Don Pablo”, curiously. It’s a special aglianico selection from vineyards up to 700 metres, a very stony, lapilli-rich site on fresher lava, and it’s showing beautifully — fresher than many much younger Taurasis I’ve had — with that lovely pot pourri and wild violet character, closer to Vulture in style with its grand old elegance. High-quality dark cacao and dried mushroom, and fresh leather, though plenty of red and darker fruit lies in reserve. 100% aglianico from Sorrentino’s highest parcels on Vesuvius at up to 700 metres, aged 24 months in large French oak foudres and a minimum of 24 months in bottle; approximately 2,000 bottles made. Tasted April 2026.

93 DONNACHIARA Taurasi Riserva 2021, Taurasi DOCG Riserva (Stem Wine Group)

A nicely fluid and moderate, mid-weight example of Taurasi, with good balance and high drinkability. Tannins are more polished than the mean, slimmer and finer, without losing the savoury and firm edge of the variety and region. Best from about 2028 or 2029, when it will be closer to maximum refinement. 100% aglianico from Donnachiara’s estate in Montefalcione at 450–500 metres; Riserva aged a minimum of 48 months (12 in oak) per DOCG regulations. Tasted April 2026.

93 TENUTA CAVALIER PEPE Opera Mia 2019, Taurasi DOCG

Still quite tightly wound on the nose, there’s still some marked oak spice — coffee-chocolate — on offer, also chocolate-covered cherries in eau-de-vie. The palate is appealingly fluid and plush, fullish and satisfying, with comfortable tannins and a lovely botanical, orange zest streak that runs through the long back end. Best from now–2035. 100% aglianico from Cavalier Pepe’s estate vineyards in Luogosano at around 500 metres; aged 24 months in French oak barriques (40% new) and 12 months in bottle. Tasted April 2026.

92 I CAPITANI Bosco Faiano 2021, Taurasi DOCG

Savoury herbs, freshly turned earth and manure, dried flowers and desiccated fruit — a real pot pourri of a wine with complexity in spades; the palate is thick and dense, evidently concentrated and ambitious, with good fluidity and sufficient fruit extract to maintain balance. Length is very good to excellent. Drink (with salty protein) or hold another decade. 100% aglianico from I Capitani’s Bosco Faiano single vineyard in Luogosano at 500–550 metres on clay-volcanic soils; aged 36 months in large Slavonian oak casks. Tasted April 2026.

92 Tenuta De Gregorio Taurasi 2020, Taurasi DOCG

Maturing, in the typical leathery, swarthy aglianico style, featuring dried fruit and savoury herbs, also dried flowers in a pot pourri-like expression. The palate is broad and appealingly fluid, generous and succulent, with comfortably ripe tannins and very good length. Drinking now, though no rush — should hold into the mid-thirties for a fully mature expression. 100% aglianico from Tenuta De Gregorio’s estate in the Taurasi DOCG zone at 450–550 metres; aged 36 months in large oak casks. Tasted April 2026.

92 TENUTE CAPALDO – FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO Vallicelli 2020, Taurasi DOCG (Stem Wine Group)

Pure red colour with little movement towards the garnet spectrum; the nose is clean and perfumed, with gentle, delicate wood influence, and a silky-firm, fluid and juicy palate with very good volume. I like the precision and proportion of this aglianico, well-measured and tailor-made, with very good length. Best from 2028. 100% aglianico from Feudi di San Gregorio’s Vallicelli single vineyard in the Taurasi DOCG at around 500–600 metres; aged 36 months of which at least 18 in large French oak foudres. Tasted April 2026.

91 San Salvatore Ceraso 2023, Paestum IGT Aglianico

A forward and plush, ripe and velvety-firm example of aglianico with solid density and extract, also alcoholic warmth. Tannins are abundant but coated in significant dark fruit extract, though the texture has the pleasant drying Italian feel and length is very good, turning to more desiccated black cherry flavours that give it a Tuscan-like profile. Complexity has yet to fully develop — cellar for at least another year or two before revisiting. 100% aglianico from San Salvatore’s coastal estate near Paestum in the Cilento at around 200 metres on limestone and clay soils; certified organic. Aged 12 months in French oak barriques. Tasted April 2026.

91 GIOVANNI CARLO VESCE Leo Mirabilis 2021, Taurasi DOCG

Open and perfumed, with wild herbs and dried flowers, a typical pot pourri of aglianico, with balanced, silky-firm, generously proportioned palate. Terrific savour and sapidity, great length. Wood is a pronounced influence after aeration — needs more time. Best from 2027–2037 or so. 100% aglianico from Vesce’s estate in the Taurasi DOCG at around 500–600 metres. Tasted April 2026.

91 Di Meo Vigna Olmo 2017, Taurasi DOCG Riserva

A very spicy, evolving but still lively Taurasi Riserva, crafted in a more refined and elegant style, with tannins nicely resolved at this stage. Wood spice still lingers but should continue to integrate over the coming 2–3 years and beyond. Tannins are already quite silky, if gritty in the varietal style, and length is very good to excellent. 100% aglianico Riserva from Di Meo’s Vigna Olmo single vineyard in Salza Irpinia at around 500–600 metres; aged 48 months of which 24 in large Slavonian oak casks. Tasted April 2026.

91 TENUTA DEL MERIGGIO Irpinia Campi Taurasini 2019, Irpinia DOC Campi Taurasini

Attractive perfume, with a balance of fruit, oak and spice in equal measure, and notable succulence and fluidity on the palate. 100% aglianico from Tenuta del Meriggio’s estate in Montefalcione at around 500 metres on clay-volcanic soils; aged 24 months in large Slavonian oak casks. Tasted April 2026.

90 Villa Raiano Costa Baiano 2021, Irpinia DOC Campi Taurasini

Well-balanced, juicy, properly firm but not unyielding aglianico — nicely measured, without overly hard nor soft edges. Tannins are in abundance but relatively ripe and supple, and length is good. Price dependent, this is worth a look. 100% aglianico from Villa Raiano’s Costa Baiano vineyard at around 450–500 metres on volcanic-calcareous soils; aged 18 months in large Slavonian oak. Tasted April 2026.

Piedirosso

93 Contrada Salandra 2025, Piedirosso Campi Flegrei DOC

Tank sample, recently racked. Another delicious ’25 — pure, boisterous fruit, lively, raspberry purée, well balanced, light, soft tannins. Love it. 100% piedirosso from the Campi Flegrei volcanic zone; one of the finest young examples of this variety I’ve encountered from the region. Very promising. Tasted April 2026.

93 Sorrentino Vesuvio Frupa 2016, Piedirosso IGT Pompeiano

Frupa comes from “frutta della farfalla” (fruit of the butterfly), which populate the area where this wine is produced from old-vine parcels (average vine age between 50 and 60 years) at 250–400 metres on volcanic soils. It’s designed to be an age-worthy example, different from the more common, fruity style. The 2016 is at a lovely stage of evolution, with gently desiccated red fruit and silky, firm tannins. Length is excellent — an eye-opening example of this variety; I would have sworn there’s aglianico in here but I’m assured it’s all piedirosso, surely one of the most age-worthy examples I’ve come across. First vintage was 2011. Aging in large oak. Tasted April 2026.

92 Cantine Olivella Vesuvio 2023, Vesuvio DOC Rosso

A piedirosso still surprisingly on the reductive side 2.5 years in, showing cracked black pepper and wet wool alongside more typical fresh red berry, ageing slowly it appears. The palate is nicely proportioned, sapid and saliva-inducing — I like the crunch and the raw, honest tannins providing gentle grip. Really tasty, juicy red from the volcano; drink or hold another 2–4 years, as it seems to have the stuffing to hang in. 100% piedirosso from Olivella’s organically certified estate on the north slope of Vesuvius at 200–350 metres on volcanic lapilli and ash soils, aged in stainless steel only. Tasted April 2026.

92 AGNANUM Sabbia Vulcanica, Campania IGT Piedirosso

A bright and open piedirosso from the Campi Flegrei in an honest and natural style, clean but leaning into the floral-oxidative side of the variety. The palate is broad and fluid with very good concentration and woolly tannins — that raw, unfiltered sensation. Density and length are excellent. Drink or hold 2–4 years. Tank sample. 100% piedirosso from Agnanum’s ungrafted vines grown on the volcanic sandy soils (sabbia vulcanica) of the Campi Flegrei at just 50 metres above sea level; natural viticulture, minimal intervention in the cellar, no filtration. Tasted April 2026.

92 CONTRADA SALANDRA Campi Flegrei Piedirosso 2022, Campi Flegrei DOC Piedirosso

Very ripe but evolving relatively slowly, sweet-fruited, with raspberry and cherry, red and black, turning gently to jam, and even some higher-toned strawberry notes — the warmth of the vintage shows through. The palate shows equally ripe flavours, soft, supple texture punctuated by sandy, fine-grained tannins and high sapidity. Very good length. A subtle and sophisticated, clearly ambitious example at a beautiful stage of maturity. 100% 40-year-old piedirosso from Contrada Salandra’s estate in the Campi Flegrei, aged in stainless steel and bottle. Approximately 3,000 bottles produced. Tasted April 2026.

91 Sorrentino Vini 7 Moggi 2024, Vesuvio DOC Piedirosso

A moggio is an ancient land measure, and this vineyard occupies seven of them on the south side of Vesuvius. It’s a bright, lively, fruity red with just a whiff of smoke and reduction — a more volcanic expression. I love the juicy, crunchy acids that draw saliva, as well as the gently saline quality that drives desire for additional sips. An extra dimension above the basic fruity style of piedirosso. 100% piedirosso from Sorrentino’s vineyards on the southern slopes of Vesuvius between 250 and 450 metres, aged in stainless steel. Drink or hold 2–4 years. Tasted April 2026.

91 MARTUSCIELLO SALVATORE Settevulcani 2025, Campi Flegrei DOC Piedirosso

Clean, fresh and vibrant, Martusciello’s latest piedirosso has a pleasant ashy-earthy-herbal profile to accompany the bright red fruit of the variety. The palate is properly tart and crunchy, with moderate alcohol and fine, chewy density. Length, too, is impressive. 100% piedirosso from Martusciello’s volcanic-sand plots in the Campi Flegrei at around 50–150 metres, named for the seven volcanoes of the area; stainless steel vinification. Tasted April 2026.

91 AGNANUM Agnanum, Campi Flegrei DOC Piedirosso

A very promising wine from Raffaele Moccia — bright, open, clean but natural in style and feeling. I like the unfettered palate, the boisterous fruit in the red spectrum, also the purple floral perfume that lingers nicely on the finish. Appealing and tasty wine — to be followed. Tank sample. 100% piedirosso from Agnanum’s ungrafted vines on volcanic sand soils in the Campi Flegrei; no additions, no filtration. Tasted April 2026.

91 LA SIBILLA Campi Flegrei Piedirosso 2024, Campi Flegrei DOC Piedirosso

A fine, cherry-flavoured, juicy-crunchy piedirosso with immediate appeal and joy — unfettered, simple but delicious. Drink over the next 1–3 years with a light chill. 100% piedirosso from La Sibilla’s 10 hectares of ungrafted vines overlooking Lake Fusaro in the Campi Flegrei at around 50–100 metres; stainless steel only, no filtration. Tasted April 2026.

91 Contrada Salandra 2024, Piedirosso Campi Flegrei DOC

Still a light CO2 spritz here on the palate, lifting the ripe red and darker fruit. Tannins are light and woolly, and acids adequate to form and shape the palate. Length and depth are good. Nice wine, successful, fresh for the warm vintage. 100% piedirosso from Campi Flegrei volcanic soils. Tasted April 2026.

90 FONTANAVECCHIA Sannio Piedirosso 2025, Sannio DOC Piedirosso

Clean, fresh and fruity, a wild berry delight — raw and pure piedirosso with honest, woolly tannins and crunchy acids. A wine to enjoy young and fruity, well made, well balanced, precise and pure. 100% piedirosso from Fontanavecchia’s estate in Torrecuso, Benevento province, all stainless steel vinification. Tasted April 2026.

90 Villa Matilde Avallone Stregamora 2024, Roccamonfina IGT Piedirosso

In the twilight between deep rosé and light red in colour, this example of piedirosso from the foot of the Roccamonfina volcano in northern Campania delivers a pleasant mouthful of fresh-ripe red fruit, lightly candied strawberry and raspberry coulis in a juicy and fun, widely appealing style. Tannins are light and silky, acids sapid and in balance, and length and depth exceed expectations. 100% piedirosso from Villa Matilde’s estate at the base of the Roccamonfina stratovolcano in Caserta province at around 200–300 metres on volcanic soils; all stainless steel. Tasted April 2026.

Red Blends

94 CUOMO MARISA Furore Rosso Riserva 2022, Costa d’Amalfi Furore DOC Rosso Riserva

Lovely, refined, perfumed red blend from the Amalfi Coast, with a sultry mix of sweet red fruit and wild herbs, beautifully integrated wood influence, and a genuine seaside, wild Mediterranean scrub profile. The palate is silky-firm, mid-weight, both savoury and fruity, energetic, and clearly from a fine site. I love the sapid, saline character. Another 2–3 years in the cellar will achieve more complete, savoury complexity. A blend of 50% aglianico and 50% piedirosso from pre-phylloxera vines averaging 80 years old, grown on terraced dolomitic limestone soils at up to 500 metres above the Furore fjord on the Amalfi Coast; aged 18 months in French oak barriques and 6 months in bottle minimum. Approximately 3,000 bottles produced. Tasted April 2026.

93 MASSERIA FELICIA Etichetta Bronzo 2017, Falerno del Massico DOC Rosso

Mature to be sure but still full of life — an expressive, rich, supple and plush wine with high intensity and density, obvious concentration, and wood-derived, savoury-resinous character. There’s more than enough fruit on offer to balance even at this stage, while tannins are ripe and smooth. Best from now–2036 or so. A blend of aglianico and piedirosso from Masseria Felicia’s top parcels on Monte Massico; aged 24 months in French and Slavonian oak. Tasted April 2026.

92 CASA SETARO Don Vincenzo 2021, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso Riserva DOC

Setaro’s premium Lacryma Christi rosso, the 2021 Don Vincenzo shows old wood spice over pot pourri and desiccated red and black fruit. The palate is broad and dense, clearly concentrated, rumbling across the palate with growing intensity. There’s good chew and extract here, also length and complexity — the wine grows and grows in the glass, indicating future ageing potential and also the need to decant if serving over the near term. 80% piedirosso, 20% aglianico from select Vesuvian parcels; aged 18 months in large French oak foudres. Approximately 3,000 bottles produced. Tasted April 2026.

91 Sorrentino Vesuvio Vigna Lapillo 2021, Lacryma Christi Rosso Superiore

80% piedirosso, 20% aglianico from the Vigna Lapillo, with part vinification in tonneaux with hand plunging and part ageing in large foudre. I love the sweet fruit paste on the nose, the black cherry and raspberry purée, cherry eau-de-vie. Wood is not a feature but the savoury-resinous herbal character typical of the area shines through. Tannins are quite soft at this stage, leaving a firm, silky texture in the wake, and length is excellent. A mid-structured red, drinking well now or hold into the early thirties. Tasted April 2026.

91 MASSERIA FELICIA 2019, Falerno del Massico DOC Rosso

Pretty, perfumed, refined aromatics on this nicely evolved red from northern Campania, with a fine mix of red and black fruit, resinous scrubby herbs, showing plenty of life and vibrancy still. The palate is fullish and plush, generously proportioned with evident density and richness, also carried on high, palate-warming alcohol. A blend of aglianico and piedirosso from Masseria Felicia’s estate on the slopes of Monte Massico at around 100–200 metres; aged in French oak barriques for 18 months and a further 12 months in bottle. Should continue to deliver pleasure over the next 2–4 years. Tasted April 2026.

90 Cantina Olivella 2023, Vesuvio Rosso DOP

Composed of 80% piedirosso and 20% guarnaccia (grenache) in this vintage. Production was down only about 5% in this dramatically rainy vintage, but thanks to the fast-draining sandy volcanic soils on the north side of Vesuvius, damage was limited. Tannins are nonetheless less ripe than the mean for Olivella’s wines, drying and dusty, and will need time to come around and soften. I love the salinity and sapidity in any case, and the wild, savoury herbs; fruit is fresh, mostly red, crunchy. Certified organic. Best after 2028. Tasted April 2026.

90 SORRENTINO VINI Vigna Lapillo 2022, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio DOC Rosso Superiore

Evolving nicely and in a fine drinking window, Sorrentino’s single-vineyard Vesuvian red has a pleasantly peppery, stemmy set of flavours to frame red cherry character. Intensity and density on the palate are impressive, and I appreciate the mix of earth, spice and fruit. Tannins are still firm and grippy but coated in sufficient fruit extract to balance. 80% piedirosso, 20% aglianico from the Vigna Lapillo between 450 and 650 metres on the south face of Vesuvius; partial aging in tonneaux with hand plunging. Certified organic. Approximately 5,000 bottles produced. Tasted April 2026.

That’s all for this special report, see you ’round the next bottle. 

 John Szabo, MS