“Jo” Negroamaro Salento IGT 2023

Gianfranco Fino | Puglia
Gianfranco Fino Viticoltore | Via Piave 12 | IT 74028 Sava

15132123 · 0,75 l · 90,67 €/lavailable immediately

A misconception made history. Generations of wine lovers interpreted "Negroamaro" as "black and bitter" – yet the name reveals a different truth: the Greek "mavros" and the Latin "niger", both meaning "black". Black like the berries, black like the night over the Ionian Sea, which has been lapping against the shores of Apulia since the 8th century BC. No wonder, then, that Gianfranco Fino calls his Negroamaro "JO" – after the very sea that laps the shores of Manduria and whose salty breeze sweeps through his vineyards. Whilst Fino's Primitivo is a "loud" masterpiece, JO whispers. Yet if you listen closely, you can hear the very soul of Salento within it. The vines, forty years old and trained in the classic Alberello bush style, are rooted in calcareous-loamy soil just a few kilometres from the Ionian Sea. Each vine yields barely 800 grams of grapes – concentrated essence rather than southern opulence. In mid-September, when the berries have already begun to dry out slightly, the harvest begins by hand. Two to three weeks' maceration, followed by nine months' ageing in French barriques, half of which are new and half previously used. No filtration, no fining – Fino allows the wine to retain its integrity.

It shimmers almost black in the glass. The nose opens with blackcurrants and dark plums, followed by Mediterranean herbs – rosemary, thyme – black pepper and a hint of liquorice. On the palate, spicy fruit unfolds without a hint of sweetness, whilst supple tannins carry the wine with an oriental elegance. And right at the very end, in final long final, that characteristic hint of saltiness reveals where this wine comes from: from the sea that gave it its name. SUPERIORE.DE

"A bright ruby red. On the nose, it is pronounced and clear, with wonderful fruit notes of wild berries, rosehips and blood oranges, complemented by subtle smoky undertones; compact and inviting. On the palate, it is wonderfully juicy with distinct fruit, underpinned by excellent acidity and a slightly salty note; long, elegant and full of finesse." Falstaff