Alois

VINTAGE 2023

Gambero Rosso – 2 bicchieri

James Suckling – 90
A bright, medium- to full-bodied white that has notes of papaya, persimmon and minerals. Clean and pristine. Drink now.

Vinous – 89
The 2023 Pallagrello Bianco Caiatì opens in the glass with a tropical blend of citrus and spices complementing pineapple and green melon. It’s soft and soothing with fresh acidity and saline-tinged orchard fruits. This finishes classically dry and with medium length, leaving behind a sensation of liquid stone.

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 88
Some papaya on the nose, together with hints of cement and dried flowers, following through to a medium-bodied palate, where the mineral element turns rather dry and gives a slightly bitter edge to the finish. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 87
The Pallagrello Bianco grape has a touch of waxiness and shows a little more thickness on the finish. The Alois 2022 Pallagrello Bianco Caiatì does exactly that given the very warm conditions of this vintage. There is preserved lemon, canned peach and candied orange peel. This 25,000-bottle release was fermented and aged in stainless steel only.

Wine Enthusiast – 89
On the fruit-forward nose, honey brings out the sweetness of citrus and stone fruit aromas, while an herbaceous undertone provides balance. The fruit notes also carry the palate, but a blast of salt adds texture and sets up a bitter, nutty finish.

VINTAGE 2021

Vinous – 91
The 2021 Aglianico Campole is dark and earthy in glass with a bouquet of flowery underbrush, ash and woodland berries. While juicy and round, it finds a lovely balance through a core of tart wild berry fruits and perfumed inner florals. This leaves the palate stained in primary concentration while a web of fine tannins frames the experience quite well. It’s amazing to think that this is the entry-level rosso from Alois. Well done.

VINTAGE 2019

James Suckling – 89
This has aromas of dried thyme, lemon leaves, cola and raspberries. Fruity and crunchy with a medium body and grainy tannins. Zesty and light finish. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 90
The Alois 2019 Campole is a pure expression of Aglianico with a very enriched and relatively soft character considering the celebrated tannins and structure of this powerful variety. The wine opens to a darkly concentrated appearance and sweet tones of baked cherry, candied almond and even a hint of orange peel. There is candied violet or lilac as well. The mouthfeel is medium-rich, and there is pretty acidity on the close. Production is 20,000 bottles.

Wine Enthusiast – 90
The nose is savory, sanguine and earthy, with aromas of flint, soil, balsamic, plum skin and a hint of softening cherry blossom. The palate runs with the fruit and florality, but ferocious tannins and acid preserve the edge.

Wine Spectator – 89
Chopped black cherry fruit flavors are ripe and juicy in this fresh and balanced red, laced with flattering hints of red licorice, Mediterranean macchia, milled white pepper and mineral. Ends with a chewy finish. Drink now. 2,500 cases made, 1,100 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2023

Gambero Rosso – 1 bicchiere

James Suckling – 90
A ripe and spicy white that has notes of white pear, papaya, jasmine and ginger. It’s medium-bodied with a fleshy texture and a tasty finish. Drink now.

Vinous – 90
The 2023 Falanghina Caulino entices with a blend of ground ginger and dusty florals, giving way to crushed pear. This washes across the palate with a gorgeous stream of ripe orchard fruits and candied citrus as tactile mineral tones firm up the experience toward the close. It tapers off with staining length, youthful tension and a salty flourish. While already enjoyable today, the Caulino is nicely balanced for the cellar.

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 88
Fresh and easygoing falanghina with some papaya and peach-skin character. Some dry mineral later on. Medium body. Squeaky clean, but a bit simple this year. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 88
Made in stainless steel only, the Alois 2022 Falanghina Caulino offers a pretty bouquet with hints of honey, green melon and sweet peach. This easy, 50,000-bottle release is snappy on the palate with the zesty freshness to pair with grilled shrimp or tuna. Compared to the 2021 vintage, this hot-vintage expression is leaner and shorter overall.

Wine Enthusiast – 90
The light, fresh nose offers aromas of lemon, cantaloupe, white flowers and stone, before the salty palate runs with that stoniness. A sweeter streak of lemon creates a round feel, at least until a bitter bite of almond on the finish.

Wine Spectator – 88
Minerally accents of smoke and stone underscore the juicy range of nectarine, clementine, lemon wax and chamomile notes on display in this creamy, light- to medium-bodied white, which is backed by zesty acidity. Drink now. 4,166 cases made, 2,600 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2020

Gambero Rosso – 1 bicchiere

James Suckling – 90
A solid, fruity and authentic pallagrello nero with aromas of baked plums, bark and dark chocolate. It’s medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Grainy texture here with a focused finish. Drink now.

Vinous – 91+
The 2020 Pallagrello Nero Cunto is delicate and coy in the glass with a mix of grilled herbs, stone dust and blackberries forming its bouquet. This is a pure and zesty effort with crisp wild berry fruits and violet inner florals that flow throughout. It finishes long and tannic, drying out the palate and puckering the cheeks as hints of licorice fade. Have patience with this young Pallagrello Nero.

VINTAGE 2021

Gambero Rosso – 2 bicchieri

James Suckling – 91
A intriguing nose with hints of poached pear, grapefruit and an intense floral bouquet. The medium-bodied palate is correspondingly intense and flavorful, but everything remains light-footed with nicely balanced, fresh acidity. Easy drinking and good as an aperitif, too. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 91
This is a special wine that is born in a little patch of limestone soil measuring just over two hectares. This indigenous white grape was especially matched to this vineyard that also boasts slightly cooler conditions at a breezy 350 meters above sea level. The Alois 2021 Pallagrello Bianco Morrone (with a newly designed label) was aged in stainless steel with a third ending up in oak. There are orchard fruit aromas and some baked pear with very delicate hints of saffron and nutmeg. Production in this vintage was limited to 3,000 bottles and 200 magnums.

VINTAGE 2020

Wine Advocate – 91
Compared to the Caiatì, which only sees stainless steel, this wine undergoes a more elaborate winemaking regime. The Alois 2020 Pallagrello Bianco Morrone is partially aged on the fine lees in oak for nine months. This gives the wine more fruit weight and textural heft, and these are two elements that work well with the Pallagrello Bianco grape—especially in expert hands such as these. The bouquet is redolent of ripe fruit, baked apple, toasted almond and a hint of exotic sandalwood. That nuttiness is followed by a fresh finish in this production of 6,000 bottles.

VINTAGE 2019

Decanter – 85

Gambero Rosso – 3 bicchieri

James Suckling – 92
Tightly packed aromas and flavors of dried peach and pineapple with some stony minerals and hints of sweet herbs, such as lemon basil. Medium-bodied with the same intensity and focus on the palate, remaining crisp and firm through the long finish. Impressive intensity and persistence here. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2018

James Suckling – 91
Aromas of chamomile, waxed lemon, dried pineapple and crushed stone. Some dried herbs, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity. Phenolic and textured. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate – 90
The Alois 2018 Pallagrello Bianco Morrone is born in a vineyard site in an area of Pontelatone called Morrone della Monica. The vines are 15 years old and planted at a moderate 300 meters in altitude on calcareous clay soils. This white wine sees a 30-day fermentation period and ages in both stainless steel (or about two-thirds of the total does) and small oak barrel for nine months. Production is 6,600 bottles. The results are mid-weight and slightly waxy in texture with plenty of ripe apricot, pear and orchard

VINTAGE 2021

Falstaff – 93

Gambero Rosso – 2 bicchieri

Ian d’Agata – 93

James Suckling – 91
A fine-textured and supple red with aromas of purple berries, wild herbs and warm spices. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Linear and velvety with a flavorful finish. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2020

Gambero Rosso – 2 bicchieri

James Suckling – 91
A crisp, vivid and delicious red. On the nose aromas of sour cherries, redcurrants, sea salt and dried sage dominate. It’s light-bodied with bright acidity and powdery tannins and texture. Sharp and crunchy. Drink now

VINTAGE 2021

Gambero Rosso – 2 bicchieri

James Suckling – 92
A solid, focused and well-built riserva with aromas of mulberries, dark cherries, grilled meat and baking spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Well-driven and playful with a delicious finish. Drink or hold.

VINTAGE 2017

Decanter – 81

Falstaff – 88

Ian D’Agata – 92

James Suckling – 92
Rich, sweet plums and berries on the nose and palate. Hints of savory tufo-like minerals, too. Full-bodied with lots of juicy fruit and firm tannin. Almost drinkable now, but another year will round it off nicely. Try from 2023.

Vinous – 94

Wine Advocate – 92
The Alois 2017 Casavecchia di Pontelatone Riserva Trebulanum (with fruit from the single-vineyard particella 165) is the estate’s top-shelf wine. What this bottle teaches us is that the Casavecchia grape can endure near or medium-term aging, and its primary fruit tones, with dark fruit and plum, remain mostly intact. This wine is fermented on the skins for 15 days and ages in oak for two years to add thick layers of toast and spice. This vintage, with 6,600 bottles made, shows robust and generous results.

Wine Enthusiast – 89
A sophisticated, umami nose of aged cheese, cured meat, pepper and smoke gets some sparkle from tart undertones of plums and black cherries. On the palate, blackberries bolster the black-cherry element, but the meatiness lingers as an undertone. Tannins are merciless, and acid is bright but gentle.

VINTAGE 2022

Ian D’Agata – 89

VINTAGE 2018

James Suckling – 87
Quite a herbal and floral nose here, with a mix of sage, wet hay and meadow flowers. The fruit is something like candied red berries. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a slightly dry finish. Lots going on, but it lacks overall harmony. Drink now.

Vinous – 88

Wine Advocate – 87
Here’s a new submission from Michele and Massimo Alois. The 2018 Casavecchia di Pontelatone Trifolium with fruit from volcanic soils is earthy and savory with dried fruit, leather, raisin and baked plum. The fruit is not all fresh, and there are signs of evolution with faded primary intensity. The aromas are loaded heavy up front, but the wine reveals a mid-weight mouthfeel, a streamlined texture and nice freshness to close. Production is 6,000 bottles.

Wine Enthusiast – 88
An earthy, herbaceous, slightly metallic nose gets just enough balance from a hint of sweet strawberries. The palate is more fruit-forward, but mouthclearing tannins make for a bitter finish. Needs time to breathe after opening, but pleasant if you’re patient.