Rassegna stampa 2011

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http://www.campaniaslow.it/2011/02/09/da-radici-a-radici-del-sud-2011-festival-dei-vitigni-autoctoni-meridional%E2%80%8Bi/

http://www.mondodelgusto.it/2011/02/25/radici-del-sud-2011-savelletri-fasano-brindisi-festival-per-soli-vitigni-autoctoni/

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http://www.videoandria.com/2011/03/22/vino-aspettando-radici-del-sud-appuntamento-anche-a-minervino-murge/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed

http://www.videoandria.com/2011/02/15/radici-del-sud-l%E2%80%99invito-rivolto-ai-produttori-e-di-sposarne-la-causa/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed

http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/nicola-campanile-da-radici-wines-a-radici-del-sud-la-buona-ragione-per-pensare-in-grande-dopo-altamura/18160/

http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/grande-fermento-a-radici-wines-experience-ora-il-concorso-internazionale-radici-abbraccia-tutto-il-sud/17811/

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http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/radici-del-sud-ecco-i-primi-12-vini-assoluti/25609/

http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/le-prime-batterie-a-radici-del-sud-in-slide-show-di-scena-i-nostri-bianchi/25557/

http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/radici-del-sud-8-giugno-linvito-e-programma/25161/

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http://infosannio.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/napoli-da-radici-a-radici-del-sud-2011-festival-dei-vitigni-autoctoni-meridional%E2%80%8Bi/

http://www.campaniaslow.it/2011/02/09/da-radici-a-radici-del-sud-2011-festival-dei-vitigni-autoctoni-meridional%E2%80%8Bi/

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http://www.apuliamagazine.it/?p=119

http://www.videoandria.com/2011/02/15/radici-del-sud-l%E2%80%99invito-rivolto-ai-produttori-e-di-sposarne-la-causa/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed

http://andata-ritorno-bari.blogautore.repubblica.it/2011/06/03/radici-del-sud-2011-presenta-i-vini-meridionali-a-borgo-egnazia/

http://campaniachevai.blogspot.com/2011/05/giugno-2011-fuori-regione-radici-del.html

http://castrumcropalatum.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/festival-radici-del-sud-i-grandi-produttori-di-vino/

http://www.campaniaslow.it/2011/06/07/cala-il-sipario-sulla-prima-tornata-di-degustazione-a-radici-del-sud/

http://www.campaniaslow.it/2011/04/13/aspettando-radici-del-sud-storie-di-chef-territori-e-vini-tradizionali/

http://www.cronachedigusto.it/archiviodal-05042011/308-il-concorso/6310-i-vini-del-sud-fanno-festival.html

http://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/radici-del-sud-boom-di-iscrizioni-ecco-le-cantine-che-hanno-aderito-da-tutto-il-mezzogiorno/24424/

www.viniesapori.net/.../radici-del-sud-2011-ecco-i-vini-piu-apprezzati.doc

 

http://www.corrieresalentino.it/gastronomia/32325-radici-del-sud-2011-si-preannuncia-grandiosa-e-accoglie-a-borgo-egnazia-240-vini-meridionali

http://it.paperblog.com/radici-del-sud-2011-festival-dei-vitigni-autoctoni-426469/

http://vinieterroir.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/radici-del-sud-2011-festival-dei-vitigni-autoctoni/

http://www.agoramagazine.it/agora/spip.php?article17133

http://www.viniesapori.net/articolo/savelletri-borgo-egnazia-8-giugno-radici-del-sud-2011-ecco-i-vini-piu-apprezzati-1006.html

http://www.viaggiareinpuglia.it/ev/3440/it/Radici-del-Sud-2011?src=rss

http://www.cibvs.com/post/58/161059/radici-del-sud-2011-a-borgo-egnazia

http://www.bereilvino.it/2011/06/radici-del-sud-2011-ecco-i-vincitori/

http://food-and-wine-bari.blogautore.repubblica.it/2011/06/05/radici-del-sud-gran-finale-a-borgo-egnazia-il-prossimo-8-giugno/

http://www.agricoladelsole.it/en/events/153-dal-6-all8-giugno-radici-del-sud-2011-l-agricola-del-sole-a-borgo-egnazia-insieme-a-piu-di-100-produttori-meridionali.html

http://www.aisnapoli.it/tag/radici-wines/

http://cucina.ilbloggatore.com/2011-06-22/radici-del-sud-2011-a-long%C2%A0-five-days%E2%80%99-story-of-wines-and-people%C2%A0/

http://www.ivinidiradici.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=238:paolo-bargelloni&catid=36:comunicati-stampa&Itemid=56

http://www.winenews.it/news/23621/primitivo-nero-davola-aglianico-del-vulture-ma-non-solo-i-convegnisti-giurati-nazionali-e-internazionali-di-radici-del-sud-concordi-nellesaltare-la-peculiarit-dei-vini-da-vitigni-autoctoni-del-meridione

http://www.winenews.it/news/23534/il-mezzogiorno-del-vino-si-da-appuntamento-a-radici-del-sud-puglia-68-giugno-per-presentare-vini-incontrare-wine-merchants-e-guardare-al-futuro-grazie-ad-un-panel-di-degustazione-internazionale-diretto-dalla-wine-writer-jancis-robinson

Duca Carlo Guarini
2007 Piutri Negroamaro

A little too much raw wood on the nose seems to be obscuring nice clay soil tones and dried fruit notes. Smooth and polished in the mouth with bright acids and super fine tannin supporting blacker berried fruit. This is very aromatic in the mouth and exhibits fine purity of fruit. 90pts

Polvanera 2007 16 Primitivo 

$35

Intensely aromatic with raspberry and blueberry fruit topped with lightly brambly, rosemary herb scents. Big, rich and briary in the mouth with rich, slightly jammy and slightly peppery blackberry fruit that lacks some of the brightness of the 14, but makes up for it with an added touch of power on the finish. 90pts


Conti Zecca 2008 Primitivo 

 

$10

Tarry and spicy on the nose and full of black cherry fruit, with a touch of porcini adding complexity. This has lovely balance right from the get-go, with a seamless mid-palate that is full of slightly gamy, slightly chocolaty black cherry fruit. Big and a little boisterous, this is lovely. 90pts


 

Mottura 2007 Primitivo di Manduria 

$16

Creamy on the nose with a fruity blackberry/blueberry aroma. Really pure blackberry fruits in the mouth with fine balance and nice tension between the fine acids and polished tannins. Unusually transparent with a nice clean finish. 90pts


 

Feudi di San Marzano 2009 Primitivo 

$15

Young-smelling and with a lightly antiseptic, slightly chalky tone that highlights the plum and blackberry fruit nicely. Some sweet fruit on entry leads to a round, lush mid-palate that offers up rich dark fruits with fine balance. The moderately long finish is clean and ends on a cleansing note that reveals crisp, fine tannins and solid acidity. 89pts 


 

Botromagno 2008 Primitivo Gioia del Colle 

$16

Pruny and slightly stemmy on the nose with low tar and spice accents. Nice mouthfeel exhibits fine balance with good acidity and crisp, well managed tannins supporting nice, fresh fruits. 88pts


 

Cantina Menhir 2007 Primitivo di Manduria 

$10

A bit flat on the nose with an earthy base topped with touches of shoe leather and dried herbs. Relatively lightly bodied and rather tannic with dark, extracty dried plum and berry fruit. The finish shows more of the tannic weight of the wine, though offset with a nice fruity sweetness. 87pts


 

Duca Carlo Guarini
2007 Vigne Vecchie Primitivo
$20

Nice and fresh on the nose with perfumed notes of violets and plums. Lovely entry with a gentle edge of fruit sweetness supported by polished tannins. Very fresh and perfumed in the mouth as well, with excellent balance and impressive length. 91pts


 

Pubblicazione a cura di Gregory Dal Piaz sul sito www.snooth.com

What the future holds for Puglia, plus 33 Primitivos reviewed

I’ve been on a bit of a tear since returning from the Radici Wine experience in Puglia in November. I had so many wines while there that, in truth, it was a bit of a blur until I had the perspective that only time allows. I’ve been reporting on the wines -- the good, the bad, the new and the unreleased it seems -- but I’ve also been telling a story of sorts.

I happen to be telling the story of Puglian wine, but in truth one can pull out "Puglian" and insert myriad other locales that have gone down this very same path. We like to think that our own conditions, whether personal or professional, are unique and distinctive, though the truth is that they are unique only to ourselves. We all tend to repeat the mistakes of others and, if we’re lucky, also their success. Primitivo, among all of Puglia’s wines, truly can say that it's been there before, in the guise of California’s Zinfandel, though!

We’ve been focusing on Californian Zinfandel these past two weeks, and I’ve tasted about 100 during that time. I’m pretty comfortable in saying that even though Zinfandel and Primitivo are clones, they are not identical. The wines enjoy such differing terroir, not to mention rootstock and viticultural practice, that there are distinct and generalizable differences between the two. What are they, you ask? Well, it’s easier just to say that there are and leave it at that, but here goes.

In general, I would say that Primitivo is a bit lower in alcohol, with a darker, earthier core of fruit. Zinfandel, because of what I believe is a heavier reliance on new oak in California, tends to be more marked by sweet, toasty notes and the spicy accents new oak imparts. In general, it seems that Primitivo is a lighter, fresher wine than Zinfandel, though as with all generalizations there are many exceptions to any rule one might want to try and impose on a set of wines! Let’s let the wines do the talking, shall we? 

Part III

So, is Puglia fated to remain a source of inexpensive and bulk wines? The answer is clearly “no.” There are some exciting, compelling wines emerging from Puglia these days. They are the wines that are destined to secure Puglia’s reputation as a source for fine wine and they are coming from a variety of producers. Some from larger producers, who have figured out how to make attractive wines that do such a great job mimicking other expensive wines that they appeal to people as alternatives to those more expensive wines. Other producers, even larger ones, have been able to produce some great wines that are packed with that character, that sense of place that makes wines so compelling. But the few to produce truly compelling wines seem to always be those smaller producers, sometime regarded with lunatic suspicions by their neighbors, who really do make the wine in the vineyards. Well, not literally, but you get the idea.

So, how did all this come about then and does this really explain why I’m tasting wines that no-one has heard about and that might not even be in the marketplace? Well, yes it does. The transition from bulk wine producer to fine-wine wannabe is fast and painless, but making the transition to true fine wine producers takes a blend of resources and time. The fewer the resources, the longer the time.

So many of these producers were decidedly resource-poor, and the idea after all was to remedy that situation. That left them time-rich, and it takes time to accomplish what they set out to do, which was simply to make the best wine with what they had available to them. Some got lucky and had great old vines in the right spots, others had to buy plots, but they all went down similar paths.

Those paths included a painful lowering of yields, painful because a bulk business depends on volume, and painful because the bulk business turns over wine quickly -- and these wines were destined for longer ageing in cellars, and a tough time to market. Fortunately, larger brands had already been investing the time and the effort to create that market, and in all honesty, the time was needed to make the market ripe for cracking.

I mentioned earlier my thoughts on the first to market wines, the wines made more in the cellar than the vineyards (OK, maybe not more but equally). I also mentioned how I have repeatedly seen these types of wines wow people on release, only to collapse under the weight of their wine making after a few short years. These two aspects of these wines -- their international anonymous style and lack of development -- can have a profound effect on how a market is perceived by the wine-consuming public, and in particular the early adopters and -- for lack of a more appropriate term -- hipster drinkers.

You see in almost no time at all, with a combination of free and paid media, a region can create the impression that it produces fine wine. Perception is reality and confidence can be very convincing. Some people will swallow this idea hook, line, and sinker, but others will question it. Some questions are so obvious: If Puglian vineyards can make such great wines, why are there international varieties being added to these wines? Or, if Puglian wine is so great, why are they trying to turn them into Bordeaux or California wines in the cellar? Other questions are more obscure, but are being asked with increasing frequency. Questions like: How would this wine taste if the vineyard was farmed organically or is it possible to lower yields too much with these grape varieties?

These are the questions that are being answered today. Not necessarily by me but rather by a large number of wine writers, drinkers, sommeliers and other early adopters who are curious enough to ask and aware enough to seek the answers. And these will be the people who move Puglian wine forward. These are the wine buyers tasting through days of less-than-engaging wines to find the few superstars, the guys in the small shops taking a risk on unknown producers simply because they love the wines, and your favorite wine geeks who share their favorite discoveries with you, me and anyone who will listen.

The truth is that the fine wine market is bursting at the seams -- flooded with wine -- and it couldn’t happen at a worse time. A lot of that wine is awfully similar, in fact frequently indistinguishable from one another. That doesn’t make it bad wine. The first examples of those wines were great wines and they spoke of a time and a place, which made them such a success that the whole world has been chasing them ever since.

These are not necessarily bad wines; they are abundant wines with incredible financial pressures on them. If you’re going to make a rich, dark, fruity wine, well marked with the aromas and flavors of oak, it’s easy to do. All you need is some warm land, abundant sufficient water and some sort of wood flavoring -- chips, powders, barrel staves, they’re all fine. If your land and labor are cheap, you’ll end up with category-killer wines. If not, you’ll end up in the middle of a category that is notoriously hard on its middle.

It’s that middle that presents the opportunity for the next generation of Puglian producers. People shopping at the bottom are shopping on price. Whether it’s this modern style or some other style, their allegiance is to the dollar more than anything else. People shopping at the upper end have multiple motivations, be they status, point-chasing, or seeking out the perceived best in class. The people left in the middle have different motivations. At the lower end, they might be looking for a better or a more distinctive wine and they are willing to pay more for it. At the top end of this range, most people are lamenting the prices of the finest wines and are looking for cheaper alternatives, though many are simply looking for the best of the non-mainstream wines -- a rich mother lode for the wine geek. And yes, there are many people sprinkled through even this group, who end up buying modern, international, anonymous wines for a multitude of reasons -- but they aren’t going to help move this story along, so let’s ignore them for now.

And that brings us to today. The ground has been prepared and is ripe for the emergence of Puglia’s future superstars right at the moment when a section, albeit narrow, of wine lovers are looking to prove or disprove the theory that Puglia is in fact capable of producing fine wines. It’s now up to the producer to make good on their promise.

And just a few words about the producer. We’ve already had the group who came to us and told us that Puglia made good wines and could make great wines if they only added a bit of Cabernet or Merlot, used more new oak, maybe a little micro-ox to soften these hard tannins and spinning cones to sap some of the alcohol out. No, thank you. You are not the future of Puglian wine.

What we need now are the producers who find the great vines, reduce the yields, but not too much, and somehow transmit all that Puglia has to say into their wine. And what does Puglia have to say? Well, I can’t say for sure but my short story would go something like this:

“Hi, I’m Puglian wine. For a long time I was cheap, not so good, but occasionally not so bad, and in fact good enough to be used to improve many of the famous wines you’re used to drinking. I’ve got a few terroirs I’d like to introduce you to. They’re the old vines of my family. I cleaned up the vines and cellars a bit and am trying to make wines that let these lands and grapes tell you their story, their history, and their future. I know, the wines are not for everyone, but they are unique, unlike anything else in the world. OK, yeah, Primitivo is awfully like Zinfandel but even then it’s a different Zinfandel.”

And there was much rejoicing.

Now, this was all part anecdote with a dash of fact and a dollop of experience, but it’s close to the truth and hopefully the results will be close to what I have portrayed. I know the wines are out there. I have tasted them. It’s now time for the brave importers, distributors and retailers to step in and take this story to the next level.

Primitivo

Macchiarola
2009 Uno di Noi Primitivo di Manduria

$NA (Not Available in the U.S.), $15 in Italy
A bit reticent on the nose with a stemmy, herbal edge to the aromatics that reveal a hint of fresh fruit. Big and smooth on entry with big, darkly plummy fruit in the mouth presented in a muscular but pure style. The finish is long and really highlights the purity of the fruit. This seems to have more potential than the 2008. 93pts

Feudi di Guagnano
2008 Primitivo del Salento

$NA, $14 in Italy
Deeply aromatic with powerful, slightly gamy fruit scents framed with rosemary and bay leaf notes. Big and smooth in the mouth with a soft feel but mouthfilling fullness. The finish here is superb, with dark, savory fruit that goes on and on. Not particularly fruit-driven but somehow luxurious. 92pts

Guiliani Raffaele
2006 Primitivo Riserva

$NA
Intense and complex on the nose with layered, perfumed notes of fruit, flowers, leather and menthol. Sweetish on entry with lots of fruit in a polished, seamless, powerful style that is so well balanced it seems rather light on its feet. 92pts

Macchiarola
2008 Uno di Noi Primitivo di Manduria

$NA, $12 in Italy
Nicely cocoa-edged spicy fruit on the nose shows a coconut edge of oak but also reveals a nice depth of fruit. Big, bright and fruit-driven on entry, with rich yet balanced red fruits filling the mouth. The wine is very well balanced and fairly elegant for Primitivo. This holds 15% ABV effortlessly. 92pts

Feudi di San Marzano
2007 Primitivo di Manduria 60 Anni

$NA, $25 in Italy
Smoky, floral and complex on the nose, with notes of olive leaf, cigar box, cedary and musk all lending a rather cologne-like tone here. Very intense on entry, which reveals a light tough of RS that gives this a rather chewy texture and contributes to the full body. Long and with enough acid to keep this rather tense right through the finale. The fruit is rich with a nice blend of ripe and dried tones. 91pts

Schola Sarmenti
2008 Dicotto 80yo Primitivo

$NA, $60 in Italy
Dark and brooding aromatics slowly reveal deep scorched earth tones over notes of dried fruits. Big and seamless on entry with a dry, powerful mid-palate that sizzles with intensity of dried fruits and spice. A really intense mouthful that may be too intense for some. 91pts

Castel di Salve
2008 C Cento su Cento Primitivo

$NA, $20 in Italy
Spicy on the nose with pepper aromas over hard, reticent fruit. Sweetly fruited on entry with big, pure lush dark berry and plum fruit, accented by a toasty top note and gentle peppery finale. 91pts

Duca Carlo Guarini
2007 Vigne Vecchie Primitivo

$20
Nice and fresh on the nose with perfumed notes of violets and plums. Lovely entry with a gentle edge of fruit sweetness supported by polished tannins. Very fresh and perfumed in the mouth as well, with excellent balance and impressive length. 91pts

Polvanera
2007 14 Primitivo

$NA, $20 in Italy
A richly aromatic nose with brambly, spicy black raspberry and black cherry fruit. Smooth in the mouth with a soft richness to the black cherry fruit, which is framed with soft baking spices and ends with a long finish that folds in gentle suggestions of chocolate. 91pts

Polvanera
2007 16 Primitivo

$35
Intensely aromatic with raspberry and blueberry fruit topped with lightly brambly, rosemary herb scents. Big, rich and briary in the mouth with rich, slightly jammy and slightly peppery blackberry fruit that lacks some of the brightness of the 14 but makes up for it with an added touch of power on the finish. 90pts

Conti Zecca
2008 Primitivo

$10
Tarry and spicy on the nose and full of black cherry fruit with a touch of porcini adding complexity. This has lovely balance right from the get-go with a seamless mid-palate that is full of slightly gamy, slightly chocolaty black cherry fruit. Big and a little boisterous, this is lovely. 90pts

Tenuta Girolamo
2008 Primitivo di Manduria Vendimmia Tardiva

$NA
Huge balsamic nose full of  pine, herbs, fresh wild berries and wild woodsy red fruits. Moderately sweet on entry with a nice balsamic top note to the perfumed plummy and red berry fruit on the mid-palate. Nicely structured, integrating the sweetness here easily and offering fine support through the moderately long finish. 90pts

Albea
2007 Petranera Primitivo

$NS, $13 in Italy
Funky and a bit sulfury on the nose, though with evident black fruit, baked plum and earth tones. Very nicely structured in the mouth with good acids and soft tannins. The feel is a bit lean, though the dark fruit flavors are rich, long  and well balanced. 90pts

Mottura
2007 Primitivo di Manduria

$16
Creamy on the nose with a fruity blackberry/blueberry aroma. Really pure blackberry fruits in the mouth with fine balance and nice tension between the fine acids and polished tannins. Unusually transparent with a nice clean finish. 90pts

Cantina Ferri
2009 Memor Primitivo di Gioia

$NA, $15 in Italy
Intensely piney on the nose. Sweet on entry and broad in the mouth with nice tannic structure supporting lovely notes of dried fruits that turn lightly peppery on the moderately long finish. This is quite powerful yet very well balanced in an interesting style. 90pts

Duca Carlo Guarini
2006 Beomondo Passito Primitivo

$NA
Not a lot going on on the nose here. Nicely balanced in the mouth, with savory and dried red fruit flavors set off by gentle sweetness and a nice touch of tannin that allows this to remain firm on the palate. 90pts

Masseria l’Astore
2007 Jema Primitivo

$NA
A bit muddy on the nose with peppery spicy tones. Nice acids on entry lend this quite a fresh feel even though the fruits are quite dark and heavy with spice. The fruit is quite pure and fresh, though the wine finishes on the short side with an ashy finale. 89pts

Schola Sarmenti
2006 Cubardi 65yo Primitivo

$NA,  $20 in Italy
Dry and earthy on the nose with notes of cocoa powder and dry meats. Big and dry on entry with intense savory depth to the fruit that is chewy and rich. This has a nice old-viney feel with great intensity of flavor yet so well balanced you underestimate its dry extract, which becomes tactile.  89pts

Cantine Menhir
2007 Quota 29 Primitivo

$NA, $12 in Italy
A little vanilla greets the nose, followed by deep, dark figgy fruits with a gamy edge. Silky and bright on entry with a rich, liquory mid-palate that’s packed with cherry and fresh plummy fruit that really persists on the moderately long finish. The tannins are fresh and add a nice crisp edge to the mid-palate. Really very fruity. 89pts.

Guiliani Raffaele
2008 Primitivo Dolce

$NA
Perfumed on the nose with spicy fruit offset by a touch of wood spice. Sweet and smooth in the mouth with gently spicy and herbal tones embedded in a lush, easy-to-like style with good follow-through. 89pts

Feudi di San Marzano
2009 Primitivo di Manduria

$NA, $14 in Italy
Intensely aromatic with notes of dried flowers and wild aromas of dark fruits. Sweetish on entry, this is a big wine, rich and packed with soft tannins supporting sweet plummy fruit that has a nice fresh feel and a lovely integrated spice tone on the moderately long finish. 89pts

Villa Schinosa
2008 Primitivo

$NA
Smoky tones on the nose top slightly candied blackberry and boysenberry fruit. The fruit on the nose is well presented in the mouth with good weight yet no heaviness. A rich, fresh and friendly style of Primitivo. 89pts

Feudi di San Marzano
2009 Primitivo

$15
Young-smelling and with a lightly antiseptic, slightly chalky tone that highlights the plum and blackberry fruit nicely. Some sweet fruit on entry leads to a round, lush mid-palate that offers up rich dark fruits with fine balance. The moderately long finish is clean and ends on a cleansing note that reveals crisp, fine tannins and solid acidity. 89pts

Botromagno 
2008 Primitivo Goia del Colle

$16
Pruny and slightly stemmy on the nose with low tar and spice accents. Nice mouthfeel exhibits fine balance with good acidity and crisp well managed tannins supporting nice, fresh fruits. 88pts

Cantina Menhir
2007 Primitivo di Manduria

$10
A bit flat on the nose, with an earthy base topped with touches of shoe leather and dried herbs. Relatively lightly bodied and rather tannic with dark, extracty dried plum and berry fruit. The finish shows more of the tannic weight of the wine, though offset with a nice fruity sweetness. 87pts

Cantina Ferri
2007 Purpureus Primitivo di Gioia

$NA, $13 in Italy
Balsamic on the nose, with dark fruits that give this intensity without complexity. Smooth on entry with lightly balsamic edges to the moderately tannic core of intense fruit. This is not really fruity though, decidedly more savory. 87pts

Alberto Longo
2008 Primitivo

$20
Liquory fruit on the nose has a hint of anise seed to it but is not particularly aromatic. Big entry with a smooth, rich feel. The fruit is pure but lacks a bit of freshness in its slightly cooked black fruit quality. 87pts

Polvanera
2007 17 Primitivo

$NA, $25 in Italy
Deep and jammy on the nose with sweet-smelling fruit over a deep, briary core. This is sweetened by the high alcohol, and while it is remarkably tense and precise, the fruit is less intense with less drive on the hot finish. 87pts

Mottura
2008 Le Pitre Primitivo del Salento

$NA
Tight on the nose with soapy floral tones and raw woody notes. Sweetly fruited on entry with dark, slight dried fruit tones that remain fresh. The backend is toasty and nutty and speaks too much of the wood treatment though. 86pts

Palama
2008 Albarossa Primitivo

$20
Earthy on the nose with ashy, spice tones over lightly dried fruits. Smooth in the mouth, seamless in fact, yet very simple. An honest, easy drinking wine. 86pts

Schola Sarmenti
2007 Primitivo

$18
Cocoa-toned aromatics with an earthy underlay and a rather meaty, cooked quality. Sweetly fruited in the mouth, though kind of soft. Very easy to like its simple, round mouthfeel. 86pts

Alberto Longo
2007 Lamia Primitivo

$NA
A bit sulfury on the nose with yeasty and toasty tones to the wild blueberry fruit. Bright and juicy in the mouth with coffee-tinged plummy fruit that is a bit chewy with fruit tannin. A bit rustic and very youthful. 85pts

Tenuta Girolamo
2008 Primitivo

$NA
Floral, spicy and high-toned on the nose. Easygoing in the mouth, if a bit muddy and diffuse. There’s nice fruit here but it’s simple and a bit clumsy. 84pts

Pubblicazione a cura di Gregory Dal Piaz su sito www.snooth.com

After tasting wines in the hotel with the producers for two days, it was nice to get out and visit the wineries and walk among the vines. We also visited a cheese producer, the octagonal castle commissioned by the Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, and the region around the castle known as Castel del Monte.


Castel del Monte

 

The Santa Lucia Winery

We were guided in our walking tour of the vineyards by Robert Perrone Capano, one of the owners. He pointed out the different training systems for the vines, the Guyot and the more traditional Tendone system (Pergola). They do not buy grapes, do not use any chemical products in the fields, and are 100% biological. Grass was growing between the rows of vines and Robert told us that this was done so that they would have natural mulch after the grass was cut and that the competition with the grass for “food” and water was good for the vines.


Santa Lucia Winery

They use French oak barriques (Allier and Troncais).  Fined grained 228L barrels but he said it is a very “controlled” use as well as 35hl barrels. For their top wines there is no stabilization or filtration. All this they feel gives them their individuality and a respect for the terroir.

We then had a tasting of Riserva “Le More” Castel Del Monte DOC 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 and1996.

I have tasted older vintages of Negroamaro and Primitivo but most of the Nero di Troia I tasted were from recent vintages. I have had older Nero di Troia, but those wines from the Castel Del Monte always had a fair percentage of Montepulciano. I was looking forward to this tasting so many different vintages of Uva di Troia (also know as Nero di Troia) at one tasting.


The Tendone system at Santa Lucia

Uva di Troia grows best in the Castel del Monte zone, an area that extends north from Bari to the province of Foggia. This area was once dominated by Frederick ll of Swabia (Hohenstaufen, d.1250). He was called “the wonder of the world” by some and “the antichrist” by the pope, and he left his imprint on this part of Puglia.

Uva di Troia might have originated in Asia Minor and was probably brought here by the Greeks. It is named for the town Troia (Troy) in the province of Foggia. The grape does very well in Puglia’s hot climate and does well in most soils. The clusters are compact, V-shaped and sometimes winged and the grapes are violet in color. Uva di Troia ripens in the middle of October later than most other grapes in this region.

Roberto led us in a tasting of his Uva di Troia

2007 is 100% Uva di Troia. There are 4,000/5000 plants/ha trained in single and double Guyot. The grapes are harvested in mid to late October, they are softly pressed and maceration takes place in rotating stainless steel tanks. It is aged for 12/18 months in French barriques of 228L and in bottle for twelve months before release. This is a more modern style wine. This is the current vintage.

Here are some of my comments on the wines:

1996 was a very interesting wine. The vineyard was 50 years old and it was owned by the owner’s aunt who died at the age of 97. It was aged in 35hl barrels. The wine was still very much alive with very good color. It still had fruit and was drinking very well. I drank all of it with the light lunch that we were served.

1998 was very much like the 1996 but not as mellow.

1999 was very also drinking very well with nice mature fruit and a hint of chocolate. I drank all of this wine.

2000 was not drinking as well as the older wines but was still holding up.

2001–with this vintage it seemed to me that they went to a more modern style

and I felt the wine had changed.

2004 was a good vintage–this was drinking well and was the best of the modern style wines.

They are also doing a top of the line wine called Riserva 0,618 Castle del Monte DOC.

100% Uva di Troia . Only 500 bottles will be produced. After being aged for 18 months in 225 liter oak barrels the wine matures underground for 6-1/2 years. It will be released it 2012. 0,168 a numerical sequence called “Golden Means” in medieval times and was developed by Fibonacci, a mathematician from Pisa in the Xll century. The famous octagonal Castel del Monte designed with this formula and commissioned by Frederic ll, is only 20Kl from the vineyards and can be seen on clear days.

Next we visited Villa Schinosa, a winery that I had visited a few years ago.  I had been impressed by their wines. When I walked into the wine cellar I was happy to see that everything was the same. Two long rows of barrels of Slovenian oak 35HL and not a barrique in sight. Another winery we visited had a large room filled with many new barriques. After a few minutes I had to leave because the smell was making me ill. At Villa Schinosa all the wines are aged in stainless steel or in botte grande.

I like their 100% Uva di Troia 2007 DOC. The wine is aged for two years in large barrels of Slavonian oak 35HL and for 3/6 months in bottle before release. It is a very elegant wine with black fruit aromas and flavors and hints of violet with a very pleasant finish and aftertaste. It is a very good food wine.

The Botromagno winery is located just outside the town of Gravina. In 1991 the D’Agostino family, which was a member of the local cooperative took it over. It was the first time in Italy where a privately owned compan partnered with more than 100 local growers.  We were given a tour of the winery by the very personable and knowledgeable Beniamino D’Agostino. I had met Beniamino before when I was working for an Apulian restaurant in NYC where we sold his wines, and at Vintaly in Verona.

Gravina DOC 2009 made from 60% Greco di Tufo and 40% Malvasia. Beniamino said that sometime there is the addition of a little Fiano and Bianco di Alessano. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks for 15 days, there is no malolatic. The wine is fruity and fresh almost like biting into a green apply with a slight touch of pineapple and good acidity. They are the only producers of Gravina.

Pier della Vigno Rosso Murgia IGT 2006 Made from 60% Aglianico and 40% Montepulciano The vines of Aglianico are planted in deep volcanic soil and the ones for Montepulciano in chalky soil. The training system is also different, bush for Aglianico and vertical for Montepulciano. The harvest takes place in late October. The wine is fermented in stainless steel with 20 days skin contact. 50% of the wine is in new Allier barriques and 50% in barriques of second passage. The wine has aromas and flavors of red berries, pepper, and hints of tobacco and chocolate.

The wine is named for Pier della Vigno the right hand man of Frederic II of Swabia. Pier was said to introduce the first red grapes to this zone.

I also liked their Nero di Troia Rosso Murgia IGT 2007.  Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with skin contact for 10 days. The wine is then aged in stainless steel for 20 months. The wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation. It remains in the bottle for six months before release. This is a very interesting wine with aromas and flavors of cherries, tobacco and a touch of spice.

On the afternoon of the last day there was a vertical tasting of Taurasi (Aglicanico), Contrade di Taurasi Cantina Leonardoand Patriglione (90% Negroamaro and 10% Malvasia Nera) Cosimo Taurino Vintages 99-00-01 the panel was hosted by Franco Ziliani and Luciano Pignataro.

I have a long history withPatriglione going back to the first vintage in 1979. It had been called the Amarone of the south–a description I never liked. I visited the winery a few years ago and tasted the ‘99. I also tasted it a number of times in NYC. I found the wine not to be as big and jammy as some of the older vintages. It is still a powerful wine but more elegant and the dried fruit was not as pronounced. However there is still the  classic Negroamaro aroma with an undertone of prune. The 2000 and 2001 had the same characteristic.  When I asked Francesco Taurino if he did anything different since 1999, his answer was “only in the vineyard”. My favorite at the tasting was the 2001. At a League of Gentle Men dinner I brought the 1999 Patrigione and I decanted it before dinner. The wine opened in the glass and was really drinking well.

Cantina Leonardo Contrade di Taurasi 100% Aglianico this winery is only four hectares of vineyards and produces only four wines. The vineyards are at 350/400 meters and the vines are 20/50 years old. The harvest takes place the first week of November. Maceration in stainless steel for one month, aged in barrels for 18 months and in bottle for 12 months before it is released. The wine has aromas and flavors of cherry, plum, violets and hints of spice. The 2001 was showing the best.

In the evening of the last day there was a presentation of three books written about wine, food and places to stay in Puglia. They are:

Pizzaviaggiando The first edition of a guide by Nicola Campanile on Apulian pizzerias

Dolce Guide – Percorsi enogastronomici di Puglia e dintorni a guide to the restaurants, wine bars and places to stay in Apulia (Eighth Edition).  Food and wine tours in Puglia and the surrounding area by Vincenzo Rizza and Nicholas Bell.

Radici wines: Guide on Apulian wines for experts and wine lovers 2011 (second edition).  Based on an idea by Nicola Campanile, who is also the editor. Texts by Franco Zilliani (wine professional) and Vincenzo Rizzi (wine lover) English Texts by Kyle Phillips. The wines in this book were chosen by two panels one made up of wine professionals called, The technical juryand one made up on non-professionals called The wine lovers jury. The book contains reviews of 178 wines competing for the top awards that were given out the last day of the Radici Experience. All the wines in the competition are from the indigenous grapes of Puglia.

For more information on The Radici Puglia Experience go to www.vinidiradici.com

There is an interesting article by Nicola Campanile president of ProPapilla titled “Southern Roots and good reason to think big”. If you sign up on the site you can find the 35 wines that took top honors as well as the other awards that were given out.

Valerie’s New York www.wor710 listen to Charles Scicolone On Wine every Wednesday at 6:05.

Pubblicazione sul sito http://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com a cura di Charles Scicolone

It looked like it would be an exciting trip to Puglia (also known as Apulia). There would be two days of tasting at the hotel with 36 producers, visits to wineries, a vertical tasting and discussion of the 1999, 2000 and 2001 of wines from two wineries–one from Puglia and one from Campania, a presentation of 3 books one on wine, one on pizza and one on food and travel in Apulia, restaurant awards and wine awards and all of this in just four days.

I was invited by Franco Ziliani the Italian journalist at www.vinoalvino.org, one of the most respected web-sites in Italy and www.vinowire.com, the English version translation with commentary by Jeremy Parzen. The event was organized by Nicola Campanile.


Franco Ziliani

There were 10 foreigners on the trip from Poland, Denmark and the US. We were divided into “buyers” and “journalists” and when we tasted with the producers, they tried to keep the journalists and the buyers separated but by the afternoon session of the first day they gave up. It was a very interesting group and we quickly understood that we had basically the same taste in wine. Franco Ziliani–in an article he wrote for the Italian Sommelier Association website stated–the main “lesson” of the Radici Wine Experience for the Apulian producers (is) there’s no unique American taste in wine and the “global American taste” they think still exists is part of the past.

http://www.sommelier.it/archivio.asp?ID_Categoria=8&ID_Articolo=2141.

I could not agree more with Franco and it is a “lesson” that producers from other parts of Italy should note.  All the foreign buyers and journalists agreed. Over-oaked and over- extracted wines are a thing of the past. It is a very interesting article because Ziliani is an Italian journalist who has interacted with foreign journalists and buyers writing about Italian producers and the state of Italian wine.


Meeting with the producers

The first morning as we entered the tasting area the producers were all lined up in a long narrow room at the hotel Masseria San Giovanni in Altamura waiting for us to enter. The format was simple, the wine writer or wine buyer would sit with the producer taste their wines as the producer talked about the wines and the winery. The tasting went on for two days with morning and afternoon sessions on each day. There were 9 producers at each session. The first day there were wineries that produced Primitivo and those producing wines from the Salento region. On the second day producers from Central and Northern Apulia, along with producers making Aglianico del Vulture (Basilicata), presented their wines.

The Wines

Bombino Bianco “Catapanus” 2009 Puglia IGT -D’Alfonso del Sordo. 100% Bombino Bianco. The wine is made from “ripe” grapes and is fermented in stainless steel tanks. The Bombino Bianco grape does very well in the soil here which is clay, sand and limestone.

Greco 2009 Puglia IGT 100% Greco Casaltrinita many producers are now making Greco in Apulia. They are careful to point not that this is not Greco di Tufo, which comes from Campania, but this one is home grown.

Chardonnay 2009 IGT Puglia 100% Chardonnay Tormaresca the wine is fermented in stainless steel, the malolatic fermentation takes places in second passage barriques and it is aged in French and Hungarian oak for three months. I did not find any oaky or vanilla aromas or flavors in the wine and found it very easy to drink. It was served with dinner at the Tormaresca winery and went very well with the food.

Malvasia Bianco 2009 Salento IGT 100% Malvasia Bianca Agricola Conti Zecca Fermentation in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks and then aged in cement tanks covered with epoxy resin. This is a very pleasant fruity upfront wine that is very easy to drink.

Falanghina “le Fossette” 100% Falanghia Alberto  Longo The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and kept on the fine lees for three months. This is a well balanced and structured wine with fruity and floral aromas and flavors.

Locorotondo DOC 2009 60% Verdeca 35% BiancoD’Alessano and 5% Fiano Minutolo Cantina Albea Fermentation starts at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks after a firm maceration a 4/6ºC for 18 hours. The wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation.

Moscato Reale “Garbino” 2009 Puglia IGT(Dry Moscato)  100% Moscato Reale di Trani.  Schinosa. The wine is very well balanced with nice flavors and aromas of citrus with hints of orange. Dry in the mouth but with a fruity finish and aftertaste.

Mjere “Rose”2009 Salento IGT 90% Negroamaro and 10% Malvasia Nera.  Calo When I was the wine director for an Apulian restaurant in NYC, this was one of my favorite roses and became a favorite of our customers. It has aromas of cherries and strawberries.  It is fresh and fruity with a nice finish and lingering after taste.

Fichimori  Salento IGT 2009 100% Negroamaro Tormaresca We had this wine with dinner at the Tormaresca winery. After the grapes are crushed a pre-fermentative maceration takes place and lasts for six days at 5ºC and then the fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. I had never had this wine before and it was a nice surprise. The wine was fresh and fruity with soft tannins and “only” 12% alcohol. It had flavors and aromas of cherries and other fresh red fruits and berries. We were told that the wine could be served chilled but I liked it at room temperature. The wine has its ownFacebook page!

Malia 2007 Salento Rosso IGT 100% Malvasia Nera Duca Carlo Guarini Fermentation in stainless steel tanks with skin contact for nine days. Very nice red fruit with good acidity, good body and a long finish.

Salice Salentino Rosso  DOC 2009 90% Negroamaro and 10% Malvasia Nera from Lecce  Feudi di Guagnano. Fermentation lasts for about two weeks and the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months. Nice aromas and flavors of blackberries and a hint a prune.

Cappello di Prete Salento IGT 2005 100% Negroamaro. Candido After cold fermentation the wine is matured in second passage barriques of Allier for five months. There are underlying hints of cherry and chocolate and touch of prune in the wine.

Duca d’ Aragona Salento IGT 2004 80% Negro Amaro and 20% Montepulicano. Candido The wine is matured in second and third passage barriques for a period of time. This is a well-balanced wine with aromas and flavors of chocolate and cherry and it is drinking very well.

Il Volo Di Alessandro 2007 Rosso Salento IGT 100% Sangiovese. Castel di Salve The grapes are picked in September by hand. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with skin contact for 13 days, and then aged in stainless steel for nine months and four months in bottle before released. This wine had a lot of character, with aromas of prune and blackberries.

Nero di Troia “Il Rinzacco” 2007 Castel del Monte DOC 100% Nero di TroiaConte Spagnoletti Zeuli. Skin contact for eight days and fermented in temperature controlled large Allier oak vats and then aged in the same vats for one year. I really liked the aromas and taste of this wine; undertones of violet and aromas and flavors of dark berries, blackberries and blueberries with a hint of spice.

Agliancio “petriGama” 2007 IGT 100% Aglianico Azienda Agricola Tarantini. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for nine months in stainless steel. This wine tasted like the soil and the gapes from which it came. It has aromas of strawberries and blackberries with a very nice cherry finish and aftertaste. It is an excellent wine with food. They told me that they were doing away with all their barriques and next year would only use stainless steel and botte grande(large barrels)

Nero 2007 Salento Rosso IGT 70% Negroamaro and 30% Cabernet SauvignonAzienda Conti Zecca Maceration is for 15 days or more. The wine is aged for 18 months is barriques (second passage) and then in 30 HL oak barrels for 12 months and 6 months in bottle before it is released. This was always a big wine and in the past I felt that it was a little over the top. Now the wine is elegant, well balanced with dark fruit aromas and flavors, a nice after taste and great finish.

Primitivo Riserva Gioia del Colle DOC 2007 DOC 100% Primitivo Azienda Agricola Giuliani The wine is aged in botte grande and a small amount is in barriques. Well balanced wine and for a Primitivo, if one can use the term “elegant”, with licorice, tobacco and a hint of herbs and acidity.

Primitivo di Manduria  2009 100% Primitivo. Macchiarola The grapes are harvested the last week in August and the first week in September. Maceration in stainless steel for ten days, the wine then under goes malolatic fermentation. The wine is bottled without filtering or cold-stabilizing. The wine has aromas and flavors of cherry, chocolate and spice and a hint of prune.

Primitivo di Manduria “Il Sava” 2004 DOC Savese 100% Primitivo.  The grapes are harvested at the end of September when they become raisin-like. The wine is fermented in glass lined cement tanks after which 90% goes into large amphorae and 10% is refined in small oak barrels. The wine is aged in French oak for eight months. This is a big dessert wine with a port like character. Rich and smooth with intense dried fruit aromas. It is only made in the best years. It will age.

Moscato di Trani  2006 DOC 100% Moscato Reale di Trani.  Schinosa The grapes are left to wither for about a month until the middle of October. This is a well balanced and full favored dessert wine with aromas and flavors of apricots and almonds. It has a long finish and nice aftertaste.

After several years as wine director of an Apulian restaurant and having visited Puglia a number of times in the past, I believed that I had a fair knowledge of the wineries and the wines. This Radici Experience showed me that I was mistaken. First of all there were so many new wineries now producing wine and many were going organic.

To have the opportunity to be able to taste wine and to talk to the winemakers and to ask questions is the best way to learn. Tasting white wine made from Bombino Bianco, Verdeca, Bianco d’ Alessano, Minutolo (once called Minutolo Fiano) and Malvasia di Candia among others gave me a new appreciation of the white wines from this region.  Tasting wines made from Bombino Nero, Malvasia Nera, Sumaniello, Nero di Troia , Negroamaro, Primitivo and Aglianico side by side showed the great range of Puglia’s red wines, too.

Next time:  more on my visits to the wineries, a vertical of Taurasi and Patriglione, notes on Aglianico del Vulture and more.

I am now on Valerie’s NY www.wor710.com Every Wednesday at 6:05 talking about. Wine.

Make pizza with Roberto of Keste, make pasta with Michele, and drink wine with me. Rome, Naples and everything in between www.loveofpizzatour.com

Pubblicazione sul sito http://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com a cura di Charles Scicolone 

The dilemma of producers

On a recent trip to Puglia, Italy, I was fortunate to taste through the wines of tens of producers. There was the usual range of styles -- modern to traditional, blockbuster to table wine -- as well as a full range of varieties.

I was familiar with some of the wines and most of the grape varieties but only one really surprised me. First, a little bit of background is probably in order. 

Puglia, the heel of Italy, has long been a source of bulk wines; wines destined for local consumption, jug wines, or wines known as vino da taglio (“wines to cut”),  which ironically were used to improve many more famous, more expensive wines from northern Italy. As the Italian wine industry has come under stricter control, this sort of blending has been greatly diminished, and officially doesn’t occur at all. So, what is Puglia to do?

With an annual wine production that vies for first place each year with the regions of Sicily and the Veneto it is painfully obvious that Puglia must do something. Internationally regions such as Chile and Australia have stolen market share from Puglia as they have produced modern, clean wines at budget prices, the traditional market segment for most Puglian wines.

This has left Puglia with two options, though they seem to be gravitating to only one. The producers of Puglia can either move up-market, or produce wines that can compete with the best value wines in the world. Sadly from what I have seen, the tendency seems to be to try the first option, though it became painfully obvious during my tastings that they are better equipped to pursue the second!

But first I should temper my comments a bit. The truth of the matter is that by going up-market most of these producers seem to have gone down the route that has rewarded many other producers and regions with fame, money, and success; chiefly reducing yields and increasing the new oak their wines see. To what result one might ask? In my view, the results are plain to see: a loss of identity among many of the wines and a distinct shift in the character of the wines towards a rather anonymous, international style.

Yes, it can be argued that this path has proven to be successful, but I would argue that the marketplace is full of wines of this type today and we are at a turning point in this road. People are no longer gravitating toward the bigger is better mocha-choco-blueberry shake-style of wines. This is not to say that no-one is doing modern high-end Puglian wines well. Quite the contrary. A few of the producers I tried shocked me with the quality of their wines, but it was for a simple reason: they captured the essence of their most valuable asset.
 

One of the reasons many international wines are indistinguishable from one another -- besides the lockstep approach to the use of cultivated yeast, similar barrels, identical techniques, and must that resemble jam more than juice by winemakers world-wide -- is their reliance on a small group of grape varieties. Puglia is blessed with several distinctive grape varieties, each capable of producing compelling wines but more importantly, each ideally suited to their regions for producing wonderfully engaging table wines! This is the second path for Puglia, and from what I’ve tasted and seen, the path with the greater chance of success.

Ironically, during my tastings, which included journalists as well as wine buyers, many producers were reluctant to pour their base wines for the journalists. As is often the case, the producers wanted to wow the journalists with special cuvees of “super” wines. What most producers seem to forget or overlook or be blissfully unaware of is that many journalists get to try wines from many regions, if not all over the world, and producers are always trying to wow us. So, where does that leave us? What are many, if not most, journalists looking for?

Well, it’s not to be wowed by winemaking prowess, but rather to be wowed by the unexpected, the unusual, the distinctive quality and unique character of a region. In Italy, this is pretty easy to accomplish as the country is blessed with the greatest collection of indigenous grape varieties on the planet.

Forgive me if I veered off and spoke for many when I speak only for one, but what I want are wines that speak of place with balance, drinkability, style, and value. Will these be the wines I score most highly? Perhaps not, but they are the wines I would want to drink and that is ultimately the point for the 95.9% of wines out there that are not destined to be trophies.

So, what were the wines that stood out the most for my palate? Among all the fine Aglianico, Primitivo, and Negroamaro-based wines (which will all be reviewed in upcoming articles), the wines made with the Nero di Troia (aka Uva di Troia) grape were the most interesting and appealing wines for my palate.

Many of these wines are not yet available in the U.S. so there’s an opportunity there for a smart importer or retailer. Several Nero di Troia wines that are available in the U.S. were not included in this tasting and I certainly recommend that interested readers seek examples out. At their best these wines are full of wild berry fruit with aromatic floral, spice and herb tones. The wines are generally well balanced with tannins that can be aggressive but rarely seem to be extreme.

Nero di Troia is fairly easy to pair with food. It’s pleasantly aromatic but not overpoweringly flavorful, perfect for matching with lamb, goat and game. The lighter-bodied versions make a fine partner for pasta dishes that are assertively flavored with olives, sharp cheeses, or dried meats. 

 

Pubblicazione sul sito Snooth.com a cura di Gregory Dal Piaz

On my recent trip to Puglia, I found the wines made with the Nero di Troia (aka Uva di Troia) grape were the most interesting and appealing wines for my palate.

Many of these wines are not yet available in the U.S., so there’s an opportunity there for a smart importer or retailer. Several Nero di Troia wines that are available in the U.S. were not included in this tasting and I certainly recommend that interested readers seek examples out. At their best, these wines are full of wild berry fruit with aromatic floral, spice and herb tones. The wines are generally well balanced with tannins that can be aggressive but rarely seem to be extreme.

Nero di Troia is fairly easy to pair with food. It’s pleasantly aromatic but not overpoweringly flavorful, perfect for matching with lamb, goat and game. The lighter-bodied versions make a fine partner for pasta dishes that are assertively flavored with olives, sharp cheeses, or dried meats.

 

Pubblicazione sul sito Snooth.com a cura di Gregory Dal Piaz