Apulian wines take center stage in Rome with Go Wine
Written by Redazione di vinoway | Published in tastings, Uncategorized, wine 
Apulian wines take center stage in Rome on February 5, at an event organized by Go Wine, an association from Alba known for making wine an itinerant experience, moving from one city to another, from one variety to another, to introduce both well-known and lesser-known labels to the general public.
We begin with the sparkling wines from Mazzone, a winery in the province of Bari, where we taste Lucy, a Rosé Metodo Classico, vintage 2020, extra brut made from Nero di Troia, aged 24 months on the lees, with fine bubbles, a long finish, and slightly spicy notes. The Metodo Classico Bombino Bianco, also from 2020, zero dosage, is very fresh, refined, vertical, and pleasant. A young winery with a mission to tell an ancient story is Terre di Maria, born from the desire of two brothers to recover a historical memory, all certified organic. The estate is located in the Tavoliere delle Puglie, an area characterized by sunny and windy weather. We taste Bianco Puglia IGP, an organic wine made from Verdeca and Chardonnay grapes. A three-month aging in barrique imparts delicate citrus notes and flavors of summer white fruit, resulting in a slightly balsamic wine with a dry finish.
The winery D’Alfonso del Sordo, in northern Puglia, on calcareous soils, offers a wide selection, backed by a winemaking history that dates back to the 1800s, in a land rich in tradition. Their selection includes Centofàte, 2020, Metodo Martinotti; Catapanus, Bombino Bianco 2023, which is aged exclusively in stainless steel, resulting in a very fresh wine. With Cortecampana Falanghina 2023, also aged only in stainless steel, we get a mineral, intense, savory, and long white wine. We finish with Dammirose, Rosato, Nero di Troia Puglia IGP, 2023, which is fruity, elegant, and delicate.
Borgo Turrito, in the province of Foggia, presents Calarosa, Metodo Classico Nero di Troia, brut, aged for 24 months on the lees, with grapes harvested at the end of August. We particularly appreciate Terra Cretosa, Falanghina 2024, grown on clay soil, with notes of white flowers and an intense fragrance. Calarosa, Rosato Nero di Troia, 2024 is made from grapes harvested in mid-September. According to the producer, the juice extraction occurs during transportation after harvest, due to the high temperatures! The wine undergoes direct pressing, resulting in a beautifully savory, floral wine, with hints of white flowers on the nose—very enjoyable.
From Salice Salentino, in the province of Lecce, Leone de Castris presents Fiveroses, Metodo Classico Negroamaro, vintage 2021, a lively, agile, and fresh wine with hints of Mediterranean scrub. The Fiveroses Negroamaro Rosé, 2024, is very fruity. Finally, Fiano 2024, Angiò, undergoes cryomaceration with carbonic snow, a very innovative method, resulting in great freshness and high acidity.
The red wines are soft and elegant, with low tannins. Colpo di Zappa, Gioia del Colle Primitivo DOC, 2020, is aged only in stainless steel and bottled for two years, producing a fruity and very pleasant wine. The Salice Salentino Negroamaro Riserva 2020 is aged 12 months in both small and large barrels, followed by a final blend and two years of bottle aging. On the nose, it expresses intense, round, and juicy fruit, while on the palate, it remains fruity, long, and enveloping.
We are intrigued by Verso Sud Susumaniello Puglia IGP 2022 from I Pastini, in Martina Franca, Taranto. This wine ages for 10 months in stainless steel, followed by French oak barrels, which give it a decisively fruity, warm, and enveloping character. It is quite open on the nose, very smooth on the palate.
From Alberto Longo, we highlight Le Cruste, IGP Puglia Rosso Nero di Troia, 2022, which ferments in stainless steel for about 20 days, then ages in oak barrels, barriques, and tonneaux of different ages for at least 10 months, followed by one year in bottle. The aroma is intense, warm, slightly balsamic, with notes of violet and tobacco, and persistent. The Cacc’e Mmitte di Lucera DOP is a very original wine, made from Nero di Troia, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and Bombino Bianco. It is aged in cement tanks for at least 8 months, followed by 6 months in bottle. On the nose, it is intense, rich in fruit, harmonious, and tannic, with a long and persistent mineral finish, and notes of cinchona bark—a truly good wine.
Puglia is a land of rosé wines, and we discuss this category through two interpretations: Santimedici Negroamaro Rosato, Salento IGT Castel di Salve, undergoes 12 hours of skin maceration, resulting in a bright coral pink color, very floral, savory, long, with a slightly mentholated finish. Another excellent rosé is Venus, IGP Salento Rosato 2023, Conti Zecca, made from 70% Negroamaro grown on alluvial soils. It expresses delicate floral notes, with ripe red fruit on the nose, and a very fresh, mineral palate.
We conclude with a highly virtuous winery, Cantina Fiorentino, from Galatina, Lecce. We begin with Negroamaro IGP Salento, 2019, Piromafo, produced only in the best vintages. It is the flagship wine of Salento viticulture, made from Negroamaro Cannellino, and pairs very well with traditional Salento dishes. On these calcareous-clay soils, the vines withstand long drought periods, as the soil retains water underground. This wine undergoes long aging in large oak barrels, followed by a proper period of bottle maturation. On the palate, it is long, warm, and robust, yet its complexity does not compromise its freshness. Galatea, Negroamaro 2023, is aged only in stainless steel, made from a selection of bush-trained vines, and offers great freshness and agility, making it a pleasant red wine.
Primitivo, on the other hand, is less versatile. Primitivo IGP Salento 2023 is glyceric, smooth on the palate, maintaining good acidity, with persistent fruit, though not overly ripe.
The producer surprises us by ending this short journey through the heel of Italy with a tank sample of Susumaniello 2024—very captivating, still fresh and lively, with great promise.
In the food pairing section, we are pleased to mention Loris Benacquista from Campoli Appennino, who offers a great selection of cheeses to pair with the wines.
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