Principe Pallavicini Malvasia Puntinata Roma

The history of the Pallavicini family, which has owned land in the Lazio for hundreds of years, is entwined with that of popes, cardinals, generals and princes. The Palazzo Pallavicini-Rospigliosi on the Quirinal Hill in Rome is a clear testament to this remarkable ancestry. Among their proprieties is the Tenuta di Colonna in the Castelli Romani area southeast of Rome, which has around 60 hectares under vine, of which about 50 are white varieties planted at an altitude of 200 metres above sea level on a mixture of volcanic soils and calcareous clays and sand. The history of this area is even older than the Pallavicini family: the legend says the Cretans arrived in the Castelli Romani and built the first hilltop villages after being displaced by the Mycenaeans around 1200 BC. The winery is built over a Roman cistern and aqueduct and Roman artefacts and remains are to be found everywhere on the estate.

In this historically rich context, modern techniques are used to produce wines that are clean and vibrant to highlight the characters of the indigenous varieties. The white Roma DOC is made from 100% Malvasia del Lazio, also known as Malvasia Puntinata. After crushing at 8°C in order to preserve freshness, there is a short maceration on skins followed by pressing and fermentation at 12°C. It is then kept on its lees for four to five months before bottling.

Malvasia Puntinata,

The vineyards are situated in the classic area of Castelli Romani, between the ancient volcanic area of southern Lazio and the city of Rome, with a west/south-west facing aspect. The volcanic origin of the area makes the soil particularly fertile. The Guyot trained vines are aged between 7 and 30 years old and are planted at a density of approximately 5,000 plants per hectare.

The hand-harvested grapes were carefully selected before undergoing a cold skin maceration prior to fermentation to extract the fresh fruit aromatics and flavours. Fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks at cool controlled temperatures of 14-18°C. The wine was then aged on its lees for 4-5 months before being bottled and released.

This wine is bright straw-yellow in colour. On the nose, it has elegant and fruity aromas of apricot and peach. The palate is fresh and fruit driven, with almond flavours and a mineral character on the finish.

Try this with blue cheese risotto or fish in white sauce.