Vestini Campagnano Pallagrello Nero 2021

Vestini Campagnano Pallagrello Nero 2021 is a red wine from Campania made from Pallagrello Nero, a grape native to the Caserta province that was nearly extinct before local growers revived it in the 1990s. The 2021 vintage spends a minimum of one year in small oak barrels, a regimen that builds structure around fruit that registers as fully ripe and varietal-true. This is not a widely planted grape — fewer than a hundred hectares exist across Campania — so each bottle offers a window into a regional recovery story that Chicago wine shops rarely stock. Vestini Campagnano farms estate vineyards in the hills north of Naples, where volcanic soils and diurnal temperature swings preserve acidity in late-ripening varieties like Pallagrello Nero. The winery employs traditional fermentation in stainless steel followed by extended barrel aging, a combination that lets the grape's natural tannin and dark fruit concentrate without over-extraction. Pallagrello Nero shares a genetic lineage with other Campanian survivors like Casavecchia and Piedirosso, but the phenolic backbone here is more assertive, the aromatic profile more savoury than jammy. The result is a wine that rewards cellaring but opens generously with air. On the nose and palate, expect layers of ripe blackberry, plum skin, and a savoury undertone that reads as cured meat and graphite rather than confected sweetness. The tannins announce themselves early but integrate quickly, leaving a finish that balances structure with fruit ripeness and a thread of mineral tension from the volcanic terroir. This is a wine for grilled lamb chops, braised short ribs, or aged pecorino — dishes that can stand up to the oak and extract without overwhelming the varietal character. Decant for thirty minutes if opening young, or cellar for three to five years to let the oak knit further into the fruit. Vestini Campagnano Pallagrello Nero 2021 is available for pickup at Off Premise Chicago, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, and we offer local Chicago delivery and nationwide shipping.