A 50/50 Syrah and Cesanese red from Castel de Paolis, grown on volcanic tuff above Grottaferrata. Blackberry and raspberry meet black pepper and sweet spice, framed by fresh acidity and soft tannins. Pour it with ragu, porchetta and grilled meats.
A 50/50 Syrah and Cesanese blend from volcanic tuff above Grottaferrata, read here through the producer's own tasting sheet and the Vivino drinker consensus.
Castel de Paolis leads with blackberry and raspberry lifted by a note of violet, the aromatic marker the estate gives in its own tasting sheet. The Syrah half adds cracked black pepper and a sweet, spicy note on the close, while the volcanic tuff soils of Grottaferrata lend a faint earthy edge that Vivino drinkers pick out too.
Violet
Black cherry
Blackberry
Plum
Raspberry
Forest Floor
Black pepper
LiquoriceMedium-bodied and balanced, with the soft, sweet tannins and gentle minerality the estate flags in its tasting notes. The Cesanese half keeps the acidity fresh and savoury, carrying blackberry and black-cherry fruit. Half the blend rests in barrel and half in steel tank, so oak stays in the background and the fruit reads clearly.
The close is medium in length, peppery and lightly mineral, with the sweet-spice signature the producer describes returning on the aftertaste.
An honest, food-friendly Lazio red from a respected Castelli Romani estate, built for drinking young rather than cellaring. Vivino's crowd rates it 3.6 from more than 400 ratings, praising its berry-and-spice character and its value. Pour it with ragu, porchetta and grilled meats.
Two UK merchants list the 2016 and 2018 vintages between about 18 and 22 pounds a bottle, both showing in stock at the time of writing.
Strong on food and everyday value, modest on cellaring and occasion: the scorecard for an easy-going Lazio red.
Bright Cesanese acidity and soft Syrah tannins make this a versatile match for tomato pasta, grilled meats and aged pecorino.
Around 20 pounds, low in tannin and full of immediate fruit, this is a genuine weeknight Lazio red.
Under 22 pounds across UK listings for an estate-grown Castelli Romani red, and Vivino flags it as strong value for a Central Italy red.
An approachable berry-and-pepper profile with soft tannins makes an easy introduction to Lazio reds, though the Syrah-Cesanese blend is less classic than a pure native bottling.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Lazio denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.
Both are mature, early-drinking Lazio reds: 2016 the riper, better-balanced year, 2018 the softer and more variable one.
2018 brought a wetter, cooler growing season to Lazio and a softer, earlier-drinking style. Supple and approachable now, it is best drunk without further cellaring.
2016 was a balanced, well-regarded year across central Italy, giving Campo Vecchio ripe blackberry fruit over firm acidity. Now fully mature, it is best enjoyed over the next year or so.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
An estate-grown Lazio IGT from 28-year-old vines at Grottaferrata, made in volume at roughly 19,000 bottles, which keeps Campo Vecchio in the value band.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Lazio is in the IGT tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Lazio falls within Lazio , covering Lazio.
Castel de Paolis farms its own 28-year-old vines on volcanic tuff at 250m; estate fruit and hill viticulture cost more than bought-in grapes.
Resting half the wine in barrel adds cooperage and cellar cost over a pure stainless-steel red, though steel for the other half holds it back.
Made at roughly 19,000 bottles under the wide Lazio IGT rather than a capped DOCG, scale and a looser rulebook keep the price down.
A Lazio IGT carries none of the premium of a famous denomination, so Campo Vecchio lands near 18 to 22 pounds in the UK.
UK alcohol duty of 2.67 pounds a bottle plus 20% VAT make up roughly 6 pounds of a 20 pound shelf price before the wine itself is counted.
Dishes that complement this wine
The producer points to meat pasta, grilled meats and medium-aged cheese, and the wine's fresh acidity and soft tannins back that up.
The wine's fresh, Cesanese-driven acidity cuts the richness of a slow tomato-and-meat ragu, while its soft tannins grip the meat. The match works on the acidity and fat axes of the pairing matrix.
Try with: Lasagna · Malloreddus alla Campidanese · Pasta alla Norma · Anelletti al forno · More pairings →
Soft but present tannins and 13.5% alcohol scrub fat from grilled beef and roast pork, and the Syrah black-pepper note echoes a charred crust. A fat-and-tannin pairing.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Porchetta · Arrosticini · Spezzatino di pecora · More pairings →
Campo Vecchio's medium body sits level with central-Italian lamb, neither overpowering it nor fading away, while the acidity refreshes the fat. A body-and-fat match.
Try with: Agnello Cacio e Ova · Agnello Ragu Lucano · Spezzatino di pecora · More pairings →
The estate itself suggests medium-aged cheese: the wine's berry fruit and acidity balance the salt and fat of a semi-aged pecorino. A salt-and-acidity pairing.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Caciocavallo farcito · More pairings →
The Syrah half carries cracked black pepper that bridges to peppery, herb-rubbed roasts and fresh sausage. An aroma-led match on the spice axis.
Try with: Porchetta · Lucanica · Arrosticini · More pairings →
Modest tannins and 13.5% alcohol turn harsh against chilli heat, and the wine's dry berry fruit fights sweet-sour glazes. Keep it away from fiery and sugary dishes.
Skip with: vindaloo · sweet-and-sour pork · nduja-heavy dishes · kung pao chicken · Pairing guide →
Half-barrel, half-steel ageing and a broad IGT classification make this a wine for the next year or two, not for the cellar.
Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A Lazio IGT with no mandated ageing and only half-barrel maturation, built for early drinking within about five years rather than the cellar.
£17.90 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:53 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumAn equal blend of Syrah and Cesanese. The Syrah brings black pepper and dark berry fruit, while Cesanese, a grape native to Lazio, adds bright acidity and a savoury, earthy edge.
At Castel de Paolis in Grottaferrata, in the Castelli Romani hills southeast of Rome. The vines sit at around 250 metres on volcanic soil rich in tufa and potassium.
Blackberry and raspberry fruit with black pepper and sweet spice, a medium body, soft tannins and fresh acidity. Vivino drinkers rate it 3.6 from more than 400 reviews.
Meat-led pasta such as lasagna and sausage ragu, grilled and roast meats such as porchetta and Fiorentina steak, and medium-aged pecorino. Serve it at 16C to 18C.
Yes. It is built for drinking young, within about five years of the harvest. The 2016 and 2018 vintages are both mature and ready now.
Fermented in stainless steel at 25C to 28C, then aged with half the blend in barrel and half in steel tank. Around 19,000 bottles are made each year.
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