CASONE - PIETRASBIRRI VINEYARD

Area: 1.30 hectares

Labels produced in this area: FALERNO DEL MASSICO primitivo dop NARCISO E BOCCADORO, FALERNO DEL MASSICO primitivo dop CONCLAVE

Geological characteristics: Mixed clays on the surface with rich skeletal components and pyroclastic substrate mixed with sands.

Altitude: between 90 m and 110 m above sea level.

Year of planting: first certified planting in 1896 when the property belonged to the Marquis Giovanni Gaetani d’Aragona and the Marchioness Maddalena Caracciolo di Sant’Erasmo. A large part of the estate then passed to the nephew Giuseppe Sanfelice who sold it en masse to our great-grandparents in 1916. A second plantation was built between 1916 and 1920 when the Santoro brothers (Gennaro Papa’s grandparents) began their adventure as winemakers as well. A third planting was carried out starting in 1960, again by Gennaro Papa, who reorganised and restructured the estate’s vineyards. Further changes took place between 1999 and 2002 with the last mini expansion.

Percentage of vines: Primitivo 100%

Planting density: 6000 vines/ha on average

Training system: Formerly a sapling supported by a wire, then since 1960 a Guyot-trained espalier.

Characteristics that the soil gives to the wine: powerful and highly complex wines, to be enjoyed even after many years.

Characteristics of the Primitivo del Massico grape variety: it is a clone of Primitivo that should not be confused with the Apulian one because over time, thanks to the specific soil and climate conditions of the area and the selection carried out by Gennaro Papa, it has acquired substantially unique originality. First of all, a rich withered millerandage inside the turgid millerandage. It is its main agronomic characteristic on which the winery’s oenological processes have been based since Gennaro Papa resumed vinifying it. In order to obtain products with distinctive organoleptic characteristics for the purposes of quality bottling, we worked hard on clonal selection to maximize this aspect.