Falerno del Massico DOC
The Name: Falerno del Massico DOC
Roman legend has it that Bacchus appeared in guise on the slopes of Monte Massico to a humble farmer named Falerno. The farmer had no wine to offer, so Bacchus turned the milk into wine and then turned the slopes into lush vineyards.
The wine production area became known as Falernum, the ancient top shelf wine of its time.
The History
Campania was the fulcrum of Hellenic culture, the three centuries of Greek history between the death of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.E. and the rise of Rome with Emperor Augustus in 31 B.C.E. Here, the Etruscans and Greeks actually lived simultaneously and their different viticultural practices still have a presence in the region today- the Etruscan vine training up trees is still evident in Aversa with the Asprinio variety.
The Romans took viticulture and winemaking practices to another level and during the Roman Republic reign a wine hierarchy was established. The wines of Campania, especially the coastal volcanic zones of Mt. Vesuvio, Campi Flegrei, and Monte Massico (Falernum) were the wines of Roman noblemen and senators. There was a tiered system of wines from the area that corresponded to specific vineyard zones and quality levels. The tiers garnered different price points, the most prestigious called Faustianum, coming from the mid elevation hills. Wines labeled “Falernum” were produced from the lower elevation vineyards. The wines were of course nothing like today- they were sweetened with honey, oxidized, spiced, and sometimes even exposed to smoke.
The Land
The present day DOC corresponds much to the ancient Roman designation of the wine region. The Monte Massico is a huge limestone massif and the extinct Roccamonfina volcano, active from about 650,000-50,000 years ago, is what provides the volcanic soils. The volcano originated as a stratovolcano, but had iterations as an effusive volcano and off-shoot cinder cones appeared closer to its base. The vines grow on these highly decomposed volcanic soils atop the limestone bedrock of Monte Massico, making the growing zone incredibly unique.
The Grapes
Piedirosso and Aglianico are the principal red varieties. Despite being a Pugliese variety, Primitivo has a strong presence in this region. The white Falanghina grape reigns here, but is probably of the Flegreian biotype.
Despite its great historical significance, finding wines from the area is rather difficult with Masseria Felicia remaining one of the most important and quality driven estates from Falerno. The wines are released with significant bottle age, a testament to the tannic variety of Aglianico and the volcanic, limestone soils, as well as top notch winemaking. The wines are earthy, smoky even, with toasty, dried plum notes. Although they are a far cry from the Falernum wines of the past, one can’t help but perceive the depth and intrigue of the wines- they truly do embody the wild, mystical landscape.
