Today, twenty original clones of the three varieties are trademarked as Villa Matilde, and Francesco Paolo’s son and daughter, Salvatore “Tani” and Maria Ida Avallone, continue their father’s legacy. A lawyer by profession, his passionate interest in the classics led him to investigate a 3000-year-old wine favored by ancient Roman poets and emperors – the “immortal Falerno.” It was a decade-long quest that ended in the development of prime clones of Aglianico, Piedirosso (both red) and Falanghina (white). Pair Eleusi with that special almond tart or cake.Francesco Paolo Avallone founded the estate in the early 1960s. Soft and silky on the palate with a rich and lightly sweet finish. The palate is honeyed with flavors of dried figs, apricots, and almonds. The Eleusi displays a light orange hue and is delicate and perfumed. Villa Matilde 2005 Eleusi Campania ($72) 91 Dark ruby, aromatic, dried black cherry and earthy, this wine is silky smooth on the attack, elegant on the palate with blackberry fruit and spice, big round tannins, and long lasting finish. Villa Matilde 2004 Taurasi Tenute di Altavilla Campania ($52) 93Ī beautifully integrated, elegant wine. Silky texture with tannic grip on the finish. This opaque ruby blend of Primitivo, Piedirosso and Abbuoto, reveals an earthy, spicy character, with intense flavors of dried black cherry fruit, plums, chocolate, licorice, vanilla., and minerals. Villa Matilde 2004 Cecubo Roccamontina IGT Campania ($41) 89 Aged for 12 months in new and used barriques and 18 months in the bottle. On the palate, it reveals light fruit flavors and chocolate notes with a big tannic finish. Villa Matilde 2005 Falerno del Massico Rosso Campania ($22) 88Ī blend of 80% Aglianico and 20% Pedirosso, this wine displays a dark ruby hue with aromas of ripe black cherry, spice and roasted nuts. On the palate it is steely in character with neutral fruit flavors, minerals, spice, and earth. This 100 % Greco di Tufo exhibits a deep yellow gold color with light peach aromas and anise notes. Villa Matilde 2006 Tenute di Altavilla Greco di Tufo Campania ($25) 88 It is delicate and flavorful on the palate with touches of cream and honey, and shows beautiful balance, with a long lasting finish. This Falanghina exhibits a medium yellow gold hue with, grapefruit, pear, and mineral aromas. Villa Matilde 2007 Rocca di Leoni Falanghina IGT Campania ($21) 89 The palate reveals apricot and other stone fruits with good acidity and long lasting flavors on the finish. This pale straw 100% Falanghina is sourced from a single vineyard and exhibits complex aromas of citrus, honey and minerals. Villa Matilde 2005 Falerno del Massico Bianco Viña Caracci Campania ($36) 92 It is beautifully balanced and has a long finish. Rich, ripe and flavorful on the palate, it is also somewhat earthier and spicier than the regular Falanghina. It exhibits a medium yellow gold color with floral aromas of honey with mineral notes and delicate rose petal. This ancient clone of Falanghina grows on volcanic soils with exposure to the sea. Importer: Empson USA, Alexandria, VA Villa Matilde 2007 Falerno del Massico Bianco Campania ($23) 91 Today the winery is run by Francesco Avallone's children Maria Ida and Tani Avallone Winemaking at Villa Matilde follows modern methods and is supported by Riccardo Cotarella, one of Italy’s most accomplished consulting winemakers. They are managed using organic methods with minimal outside intervention.
Other estate vineyards are located in the Benevento (Rocca dei Leoni) and Avellino (Tenute di Altavilla) provinces. The main estate vineyard located near Mount Massico and the volcano of Roccamonfina in northwestern Campania is densely planted (about 5,000/7,000 vines per hectare) using the Gouyot training system. Valla Matilde’s first vintage was in 1976. After several years of research and helped by a team of scholars from the University of Naples, Francesco Avallone was able to identify and propagate several clones of Falerno which he replanted in the soil in the region known as Massico. Falerno had been made virtually extinct by phylloxera in the late 1890s. Pliney observed that a Falernian wine made in 121 BC was served to Caligula over a century later. The Greeks are thought to have brought it to Italy where the Romans cultivated and popularized it.
The origins of this varietal are ancient. Villa Matilde was established by Francesco Avallone, a lawyer and classicist,who during the 1970s set out to reclaim the ancient clones of the region's native variety Falerno.
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