The Donna Paola Estate produces wines with structure and personality from very distinctive vineyards lying on a former dolomite quarry in Upper Campania.
Tenuta Donna Paola is a small château from Campania, the vineyard bordered by natural walls and lying on a‘former dolomite quarry belonging to the Testa family. We are in Valle Paola, a hamlet of San Michele, in Alife (CE), in the Alto Casertano area, otherwise known as Alta Campania, and it is here that an almost unique project comes to life.
At the helm is. Maria Pia Francesca Testa, a young medical school graduate with a great passion for reclaiming the land. It was she who picked up the ideas of her father Francis and breathe new life into the family property of 16 hectares, nestled between Sannio and Molise, in the Matese National Park, and to rewrite the history of these places with the‘goal of leaving a‘NEW INHERITANCE. Next to them is. l‘oenologist Fabio Gennarelli, who passionately follows this journey that begins in the earth and ends in the glass.
Wine territory and history intertwine in Alife
L‘Alto Casertano is an area where time seems to flow at a slower pace than the rest of the region. In these lands, the Pallagrello, specifically in the Monticello locality in nearby Piedimonte Matese. As early as the 18th century, this wine was known as “court wine” of the Bourbons, and in 1775 Ferdinand IV officially consecrated it with a‘effigy at the edge of the vineyard to protect the vine.
Alife is a treasure chest of biodiversity of Campania, still little explored by tourism and wine enthusiasts. An authentic and at the same time fascinating territory, ready to tell a new story, already written in part by Vincenzo Capasso in Colle Capasso, the locality that dominates the panorama, where already in the 1920s, he produced bottles of classic method sparkling wine, shipped throughout Italy and even to the‘abroad. These include Gran Spumante Matese and Gran Spumante Pallagrello, even then symbols of quality and innovation. Mention is also made of them in the monthly magazine “L’illustrazione Coloniale” of 1921 and appears in several issues of Arturo Marescalchi’s Annuario Vinicolo d’Italia.
Interweaving of vineyard and faith
The history of Tenuta Donna Paola is also intertwined with the micaelic cult. Part of the winery, lower than the quarry, is developed on a handkerchief of vineyard that belonged to the Scorciarini Coppola family, which donated to the faithful to build in 1784 the small church of St. Michael the Archangel, which still stands among the rows of vines. A place with a strong symbolic value, positioned along the ‘ancient spiritual path that pilgrims traveled from Rome to Monte Sant‘Angelo. This was followed in 1888 by the establishment of the Royal Practical School of Agriculture, one of the first in Italy.
Today, the estate returns to the story of Alife and the‘Alto Casertano, combining history, faith and agricultural identity. The varieties grown are the indigenous Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero, Casavecchia and Falanghina, and the international Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Merlot, in a dialogue that finds in the soil rich in micro and macro nutrients of the dolomite quarry the ideal conditions for wines with structure and personality.
Only two wines are currently produced
Two labels are produced so far: Campania Rosso Xystus, made from Merlot and Casavecchia grapes, and Campania Bianco Xystus, a blend of Chardonnay and Falanghina, for a total of 10,000 bottles. A curiosity: the name Xystus pays homage to Pope Sextus I, Patron Saint of Alife, and the stylized stalk on the label evokes the Papal Ferula.
Campania White Xystus 2023 Women’s Estate Paola
Score: 93/100
Average price in wine shop: € 22,00
50% Falanghina, 50% Chardonnay. Stainless steel. Straw yellow. Olfactory profile of broom, grapefruit and passion fruit. Fresh and vertical, very savory and persistent.
Campania White Xystus 2022 Women’s Estate Paola
Score: 92/100
Average price in wine shop: € 22,00
50% Falanghina, 50% Chardonnay. Stainless steel. Golden straw yellow, bright. Aromas of apple, apricot and mint. Ample, savory and long sip.
Campania Red Xystus 2023 Women’s Estate Paola
Score: 93/100
Average price in wine shop: € 22,00
50% Merlot, 50% Casavecchia. Stainless steel. Ruby with garnet nuances. Aromas of small black fruits and underbrush, secondarily wild fennel and wet earth. Broad and fresh on the palate, slender and persistent.
Campania Red Xystus 2022 Donna Paola Estate
Score: 93/100
Average price in wine shop: € 22,00
50% Merlot, 50% Casavecchia. Stainless steel. Bright garnet. Nose of black fruit, white pepper and licorice root. Broad, soft and savory. The finish is long and gives a peppery note.
