Wines from Puglia

Susumaniello nearly disappeared. This ancient grape variety, which grows exclusively in Apulia, had been forgotten by the region's winegrowers for decades – until it was officially authorised for cultivation again in 2003. What followed was not a quiet return, but a minor renaissance: Il Lemos demonstrates why this grape variety deserves to be saved. Vinified as a single variety, macerated and fermented at 20 to 22°C for 10 to 15 days – enough time to fully extract colour and character without sacrificing freshness. Intense violet-red. The bouquet offers ripe fruit, blended with spicy notes of clove and liquorice. On the palate, it is dense and full-bodied, supported by lively acidity and firm, yet never overpowering, tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

1943: General Charles Poletti, responsible for supplying the Allies in southern Italy, ordered five bottles of Rosato – with an American accent. And so Five Roses became Italy’s first bottled rosato. Over eighty years later, it is still here, still true to itself. Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera, hand-harvested in early September, cold maceration at 10°C, gentle juice extraction, fermentation in stainless steel.

Salice Salentino is one of the oldest denominazioni in Apulia, recognised in 1976, and is still synonymous with the power of Negroamaro today. The Conti Zecca family, based in Leverano since 1580, cultivate the Tenuta Cantalupi here with its calcareous, iron oxide-rich soils. For the Riserva, 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera are matured in wooden barrels. Deep ruby red in the glass with the first garnet reflections. The bouquet opens with red berries, cloves and a hint of forest floor. Soft and harmonious on the palate, with a dense body, well-integrated tannins and a warm, lingering final. Classic Salice Salentino in its most mature form – structured, but never heavy. SUPERIORE.DE

The name Rifugio – refuge – tells of underground hiding places where the inhabitants of Salento once protected themselves from danger. Today, an entire area near Veglie bears this name, where particularly high-quality Primitivo grapes thrive on alluvial, clayey soils with limestone deposits. The traditional Conti Zecca winery, owned by the noble family since the 16th century and one of the icons of Apulia with 320 hectares of vineyards, vinifies this single-varietal Primitivo using tried and tested methods: manual harvesting with selection at the sorting table, gentle destemming and pressing, twelve-day maceration at 25 degrees, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Maturation takes place over twelve months in large oak barrels of 30 hectolitres and in resin-sealed concrete tanks, followed by a short period of maturation in the bottle.

What began in 2004 as a commemorative wine to mark the 50th harvest of Salice Salentino – Leone de Castris has been producing this Apulian classic since 1954 – became an established tradition thanks to its resounding success. Since then, a new vintage of the "50° Vendemmia" has been released every year. A Riserva that demonstrates how Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera find their powerful yet elegant expression on the red soils of Salento. The blend of 90% Negroamaro and 10% Malvasia Nera di Lecce undergoes an 8- to 12-day maceration at a controlled temperature of 20 to 22 degrees following selective harvest, before the wine is aged for twelve months in 30-hectolitre oak barrels. A further six months of bottle ageing round off the wine's development.

For a long time, Nero di Troia was Northern Apulia's well-kept secret – used in blends, but rarely as a single variety. Torrevento changed that in 1993: the Vigna Pedale was the world's first single-varietal Nero di Troia. Since then, it has been the estate's flagship wine – and, right up to the current 2019 vintage, has left Gambero Rosso with no choice but to award it the highest rating eight times in a row.

Feudi di San Gregorio is an institution in Campania – greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino and Taurasi have made the winery from Sorbo Serpico famous. However, the Campanians have also been exploring other terroirs in southern Italy for years: in Apulia, not far from the Ionian Sea, they cultivate Primitivo vineyards, whose grapes produce an uncomplicated, authentic red wine. No big prestige line, but solid craftsmanship from one of the most traditional Primitivo regions in Italy. The vinification follows a straightforward concept: the grapes are carefully selected and fermented in stainless steel at a controlled temperature. The wine matures for several months in steel, without contact with wood, in order to preserve the fruity clarity of the grape variety. The result is an accessible Primitivo without baroque opulence – feudi di San Gregorio focusses on drinking pleasure rather than extract power.

In 1993, to mark the 50th anniversary of Five Roses, Leone de Castris decided that such a milestone deserved a wine worthy of the occasion. The Anniversario was born – and has been making history ever since. It has won Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri award on multiple occasions, as if it were routine. 80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasia Nera di Lecce, grown on loamy-silty soils in Salice Salentino. Hand-harvested in early September, gentle destemming, cold maceration at 7–10°C, gentle must extraction without pressure, controlled fermentation in stainless steel. Simple, precise, uncompromising.

Primitivo can be many things – jammy and overloaded, or as here: clear, elegant, with depth. The Counts Zecca vinify this wine from old vines on their Tenuta in the south-west of Salento, where calcareous soils and constant sea breezes keep the grapes healthy and concentrated. Ageing in wooden barrels and cement tanks gives the wine time to mature without bending it. Deep ruby red in the glass with garnet reflections. The bouquet surprises with smoky spice notes, a hint of tobacco and candied fruit – a far cry from the one-dimensional fruit bomb you might expect. The palate reveals a fine texture: mineral notes, silky tannins and an extract sweetness that provides structure rather than masking it. Primitivo for people who want to know what this grape variety is really capable of. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep, dark ruby red with a garnet red centre. The aroma is warm and complex: black cherry, dried plums, a pinch of tobacco and balsamic notes, underpinned by a hint of liquorice and toast. Powerful and well-structured on the palate, with dense tannins and a ripe, almost velvety texture. The ageing in barriques adds depth without overpowering the fruit. Negroamaro in this Riserva form shows its full potential: independent, complex and with elegant maturity. An authentic representative of the DOC Leverano, characterised by the warm climate of Salento and the craftsmanship of Conti Zecca. SUPERIORE.DE

An Aglianico with character and provenance: Cappellaccio is grown on limestone soils at an altitude of around 300 metres, near the Castello di Federico II – after whom the DOC is named. Ageing in barriques and large wooden casks for 12 months lends the wine structure and maturity. In the glass, it is a deep ruby colour with a garnet-red rim. On the nose, it offers notes of black cherry, prune, liquorice, balsamic herbs and a hint of tobacco. On the palate, it is concentrated, with firm tannins, dark spice and mineral freshness. A powerful yet surprisingly precise Aglianico from the limestone-rich slopes of northern Murgia – a masculine wine with depth and potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Gregory Perrucci has given Primitivo di Manduria back its dignity. When he founded the Felline winery in 1992, Primitivo was still a mass-produced commodity for tanker exports – cheap blended wine without prestige. Perrucci recognised the potential of the grape variety and began to systematically investigate the terroirs around Manduria. With his Accademia dei Racemi, founded in 1996, he became a pioneer in the valorisation of indigenous Apulian varieties. Today, Felline is considered a reference for Primitivo di Manduria – thanks to its work on different types of soil (terra rossa, white earth, black earth, sand) and its uncompromising focus on quality. This basic Primitivo comes from different plots of the 120 hectares of vineyards, which are organically farmed. Hand-picked, vinified separately according to soil type, matured for six months in French barriques – a classic interpretation of the variety.

Manduria is one of Apulia's most prestigious Primitivo regions, and Villa Santera lives up to this reputation with international acclaim – a Primitivo that has made its mark on the global stage without losing its Apulian soul. The vines, averaging forty years old, are rooted in loamy-clay soil and trained using the spur pruning method, with 5,500 vines per hectare. Harvest takes place early, in the first ten days of September, with a deliberately low yield of 6 tonnes per hectare. Maceration and fermentation take place at 20 to 22°C to preserve the fruit and character without over-emphasising them. This is followed by a deliberate period of rest: six months in large wooden casks, where the wine gains depth without being dominated by toasty aromas, followed by at least a further three months in the bottle before it leaves the estate.

The grapes for Ettamiano are harvested when slightly overripe, a trick that the famous winegrowers' co-operative likes to use with great flair. The variety should show as much of its origin as possible, which is why they rely on short maturation and only use French barriques that have been used several times. Intense ruby red colour with violet reflections. At first sip, Ettamiano is a Primitivo that is characterised by its pleasantness, but at no time does it pander. The glass reveals hints of ripe but lively fruit, spicy notes of cinnamon, then cocoa and liquorice. The flavour is consistent and persistent, supported by a fresh and spicy note that keeps you coming back for more. Long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Giravolta – a name with a history. This was the name of the racehorse that once galloped across the Pozzopalo stud farm and always turned round abruptly in front of the old tuff quarry. This "U-turn" gave the wine its name, but it is the terra bianca, the white earth, that characterises it. While the basic Primitivo comes from the Terra Rossa, the Giravolta grows on calcareous, white soil, created by the breaking up of limestone. The tuffy, stony composition ensures rapid water drainage, but the porous stones also store moisture for the roots.

Triusco comes from the estate's oldest plots in the classic DOC zone around Manduria. The Primitivo vines are deeply rooted in red sand/clay soil on a limestone base – ideal conditions for density and aromatic ripeness. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine matures for six months in barriques and a further four months in stainless steel. Dark ruby red in the glass with a violet tinge. Aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry, some plum, cinnamon and tobacco. Soft, dense and spicy on the palate, with rich fruit, supple tannins and a warm, lingering final. An expressive Primitivo with structure, elegance and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

The Negroamaro grapes used to make the exceptionally delicate Calafuria come from vineyards stretching along the Adriatic coast in Salento. The region boasts a long tradition of producing rosé wines from Negroamaro, a grape variety that expresses its full potential best when grown near the sea. Pale pink in colour, with a bouquet of fruity citrus notes of grapefruit and orange blossom, and hints of jasmine. Pleasantly fresh on the palate with excellent aromatic persistence and a delicate flavour. SUPERIORE.DE

Verdeca is a grape variety that hardly anyone knows – and that is no coincidence. For centuries, it was used as the base material for vermouth, was rarely vinified as a single variety and was considered too unspectacular for its own bottle. Yet its history is an ancient one: Greek in origin, it probably arrived in Apulia with the first settlers and became native to the sandy limestone soils of Salento. Masseria Li Veli has given it a stage with the Askos project – and the wine critics have responded. Askos Verdeca is the only Apulian white wine ever to be honoured by Gambero Rosso with its Tre Bicchieri.

An askos was a small Greek clay vessel dating from the 1st century BC – an ancient Decanter, designed for pouring wine. Masseria Li Veli has made this name the symbol of an entire project: the rescue, research and promotion of Apulian grape varieties that had almost vanished from the region’s collective memory. Susumaniello is one of them. For the Askos, Li Veli uses exclusively grapes from plots with particular suitability, cultivated according to the rules of an ancient tradition. Vines over 20 years old – partly trained in the traditional Alberello style, partly as Cordone speronato. Clay-sand soils with limestone deposits, hand-harvested at the end of September. Fermentation in French oak vats at controlled temperatures. Maturation in barriques and large French oak barrels.

For over three decades, this Salice Salentino Riserva has been the undisputed flagship of Cantine Due Palme – and a wine that proves year after year that greatness and a co-operative structure need not be a contradiction in terms. The Tre Bicchieri of the Gambero Rosso? For Selvarossa, this has long been a subscription. No other Apulian red wine has won this top award so consistently, and at a price-pleasure ratio that even cuvées four times more expensive regularly fail to achieve. The story of Selvarossa begins shortly after the turn of the millennium, when Angelo Maci – fourth generation of an old winemaking family and founder of Due Palme – realised his vision of uncompromising quality production. What began in 1989 with fifteen members now unites over a thousand winegrowers who together cultivate 2,500 hectares of vineyards in the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto. The name Selvarossa – "red forest" – refers to the characteristic red-coloured, clayey soils around Cellino San Marco, rich in minerals, graphite and iron oxides, which give the terroir its unmistakable character.

Gioia del Colle is not the Primitivo that the world thinks it knows. The Apulian Murgia plateau lies at an altitude of 380 to 400 metres – higher, cooler and windier than Salento, with stony, loamy soils, marked temperature fluctuations and a finesse in the Primitivo that would never emerge from the heat of the south. The DOC is regarded as one of Apulia’s most exciting premium regions and has attracted the attention of the international wine world in recent years. Amidst dry stone walls, cherry trees and limestone cliffs, Leone de Castris works here under the name ‘Masseria Donna Coletta’ – a project that is reinventing the centuries-old family without forgetting its roots.

A name that doubles as a programme: the de Corato family and the Coratina olive variety not only share the same syllables, but also their homeland – the hills near Andria, where the Murgia slopes gently down to the Adriatic Sea. Here, in the shadow of Frederick II's legendary Castel del Monte, the family has been cultivating centuries-old olive groves since the 19th century. The Coratina is considered one of the most powerful varieties in Italy: rich in phenols, intense, with that distinctive bitter note that connoisseurs are looking for. Harvested by hand, cold-pressed on the day of harvest and matured for three months in glazed concrete tanks.