To tourists and really anyone with a grasp of Roman history, Vesuvius is Italy’s most famous volcano. What happened at Pompeii is still one of the most vivid demonstrations in human history of nature’s fury. But in Italian wine circles, Vesuvius is a distant second to Sicily’s Mount Etna. Encircled by urbanization and therefore, more highly allocated from a land-management standpoint, Vesuvius has yet to produce the quantity of wines for a proper Etna comparison. And perhaps because of this, the type of renaissance that fueled Etna’s rise to the top of the standings has been more like a slow burn on Vesuvius.
But quality is emerging on the slopes of Vesuvius. And as with Etna’s wines — where the diversity of soil and mix of coplanted grapes leaves most questions unanswered — what exactly is happening in the vineyards of Vesuvius is a tricky thing to pin down.
Enter the protagonist of a fascinating Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco that I enjoyed earlier this year: Caprettone. This is a grape that is found exclusively on Vesuvius and whose performance varies significantly across the volcano. If you find Etna Bianco’s flinty, shape-shifting personality to be compelling — but its acidity to be perhaps too bracing — then Caprettone from Vesuvius is a grape to seek out. Lower in acidity yet momentous nonetheless, it can yield citrus and flower-like aromas in generous waves. Varietal wines are hard to find on the U.S. market, as quite a bit of blending occurs, and this DOC is small to begin with*.
Villa Dora may be among Caprettone’s biggest believers. They offer a varietal Caprettone, which Oliver McCrum Wines imports, as well as this Caprettone-forward blend with Falanghina called “Vigna del Vulcano.” This wine opened my eyes to the grape’s potential and its terroir. With a radiant, gold color to match its volcanic intensity of flavor, the wine captivated me from the start. “If Viognier was allowed on Mount Etna” I wrote in my notes, fumbling for a way to accurately describe what I was experiencing. Find a bottle and see if you agree.
*Lacryma Christ del Vesuvio has only 391 hectares of vines, with most of that being devoted to red grapes. Etna DOC, however, has roughly 1,300 hectares.
2021 Villa Dora “Vigna del Vulcano” Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio DOC (Campania )
Grapes: Caprettone (80%), Falanghina (20%)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Opinion: ★★★★ 3/4 (out of five)
Food friendliness: Versatile
Value: Very Good
A beginner might like … committing these two grapes’ names to memory for future Campania white wine exploration. The land of Fiano, Greco di Tufo, Coda di Volpe, Caprettone and Falanghina is at the top of the heap when it comes to Italian white wines.
A wine obsessive might like … comparing the acidity level of this wine with both a varietal Carricante from Etna and one with ample percentages of Catarratto. Where is the line drawn between grape variety and volcanic soil?
Note: This wine was provided as a sample by the winery’s U.S. importer. Learn more about our editorial policy.
