The Noble Family of Pallavicini makes outstanding Latium wines
By Susannah L. Gold
A couple of years ago I had the occasion to interview the Princess Maria Camilla Pallavicini from the Principe Pallavicini winery for a book that I am writing on wine. She very kindly spoke with me on the phone about some of her impressions of the business and invited me to her property some 30 minutes on the train outside of Rome. I jumped at the chance to go and soon found myself in a jeep with her agronomist Mauro De Angelis on a very large property with what seemed to me to be acres and acres of vines.
The Pallavicini winery
The Pallavicini have a number of different properties, two of which they use to make wine. I went to visit the Tenuta di Colonna, the property is located in an area formerly known as Labicum that lies between the towns of Colonna and Frascati in the Italian region of Latium. Latium is a central Italian region whose capital is Rome. It borders on Tuscany and Umbria to the North, Abruzzo and Molise to the East and Campania to the South.
The family bought 1600 hectares of land in 1670. It had been the property of the noble Colonna family and prior to that of the Boncampagni family. The Pallavicini family is one of the most celebrated Italian noble families. There are different branches of the family and the Roman branch from which Princess Maria Camilla hails was originally from Genoa. She can count among her ancestors many prelates and diplomats. A certain Nicolo’ Pallavicini, was the first member to move to Rome. He is said to have fathered 22 children, among them, Lazzaro. Lazzaro eventually became a cardinal under Pope Clemente IX. Lazzaro’s niece, the first Maria Camilla, married into another famous Roman family, the Rospigliosi family to which Pope Clemente IX was related. The marriage created a new branch of the Pallavicini, the Pallavicini Rospigliosi family.
The Pallavicini family is very involved in the day to day running of their winery. The Princess and her two sons, Sigieri and Moroello, are on the board of directors. The winery also counts among its considerable resources, the enologist Carlo Roveda, a well-known figure on the Italian winemaking scene and Mauro De Angelis, the agronomist responsible for implementing all of the changes in the vineyards. The two have proved to be a winning combination together with Giovanna Trisorio.
The Pallavicini wines
“Latium was originally not well known for making quality wines but we have done much work to recreate the image of Latium wines” the Princess noted. The family has a wide range of red, white and dessert wines and exports approximately 50% of their wines to markets in Europe and the Americas. The family invested heavily in replanting many of their vines and the extra care shows in the quality of their wines. They also increased the density of the plantings and have undertaken considerable clone research. Cesanese is not all homogenous,” the Princess said, “we have taken pains to grow the most suitable clones for the different properties.” The Pallavicini can also help to reproduce better clones in their plant nurseries.
The family makes Frascati DOC wines on the property that I visited, the Tenuta di Colonna while another Pallavicini property called Tenuta di Fondi is known for its exquisite palms. The Tenuta di Cerveteri property instead is where they grow both grapes that go into making their prestigious red wines as well as cereal grains. It is located in the Maremma area of lower Tuscany and upper Latium. Many of the Italy’s most famous wines, including almost all of the so-called Super-Tuscans, are made in this central coastal part of Italy. The family also own a planet nursery near the Tuscan city of Pistoia where they grow a wide variety of plants and flowers.
The Pallavicini family grows the grapes that are indigenous to Latium, including Cesanese, Greco Bianco, Grechetto, Malvasia di Candia, Malvasia di Latium, and Trebbiano Toscano as well as international varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet, Petit Verdot and Syrah.
I tasted a number of Pallavicini wines on my recent trip to Rome in June. My favorites are the Amarasco, a blend of grapes from different Cesanese clones. The grapes are left to slightly raisin on the vine giving extra strength and flavor. Red fruits and the spicy nature of the Cesanese grape burst through and lead to an enveloping round, velvety mouthfeel and a long finish.
This wine calls for a delicious meal and although it was the beginning of Summer, my thoughts went to Christmases I had spent in Rome and a truly delicious recipe that always reminds me of Italy, the Baby Lamb Chops Roman Style (Abbacchio alla Romana).
I also really enjoy their dessert wine called Stillato, made from Malvasia del Latium. It is simply a symphony in your mouth with notes of apricot, tropical fruits, honey and vanilla. Approximately 25% of the wine is partially fermented in acacia barriques (wooden barrels) which gives it a honeyed complexity on the palate.
The Pallavicini make a very wide range of white and red wines including for the whites Pagello made from Greco and Grechetto, Poggio Verde, a classic blend of Frascati grapes ( Malvasia di Candia, Malvasia del Latium, Trebbiano Toscano, Grechetto and Greco), and La Giarafrom Malvasia del Latium, among others.
They also make a delicious red wine called Moroello from a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot as well as Soleggio from Cabernet Sauvignon, Tiaso from Sangiovese and a Syrah. The winery has recently introduced a number of new wines including Casa Romana 06, a red blend from made with Petit Verdot and Cabernet grapes. It will be available in October 2008. They have also created a white blend called 1670 made from Malvasia di Latium also known as Malvasia puntinata and Semillion. This bottle celebrates the year that the Pallavicini bought their property.
The Pallavicini while maintaining their traditions and long noble heritage have embraced modernity both in their winemaking and vineyard management techniques. Their considerable efforts are paying off and have made this ancient winery one of the most innovative in Latium.
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