The regional appellation of Salento covers a lot of winemaking in Puglia. Its rules permit the use of a host of different grape varieties, of which Negroamaro and Primitivo are the most popular.
“Produced in a clean, fruit forward style with fermentation in stainless steel. Some subtle fruit notes of red berry - raspberry and cranberry - alongside some pomegranate and fresh cherry notes on the nose. Malolactic imparts a smoothness but plenty of freshness remains. This is a simple, but well balanced rosato with good food pairing potential, particularly with local dishes such as carpaccio di tonno or frutti di mare.”
“Rather luscious aromas of inky black fruit compote. Waves of morello cherry and dried flowers lap up against each other. The earthy tones so characteristic of Primitivo are present, but engulfed in the sweet vanilla impact of 12 months in barrel. Beautiful depth and weight on the palate, delivering notes of chocolate, cloves and tobacco. A ripe, heavy wine with a strong note of alcohol on the finish. Will be interesting to watch this develop.”
“One of Salento’s best rosato wines. An attractive, fruity nose of ripe strawberry merges with scents of wild coastal scrub. The palate is full and round but held together by impressive, integrated acidity. Decent finish and somewhat ageworthy.”
“Earthy nose set in layers of black berry fruit; the palate is soft and fleshy wine, well balanced balanced and extremely fun. Fresh, simple, but very attractive. A nice advert for the variety.”
“Deep colour. A structured rosato designed for food partnerships. A nose of strawberry and raspberry with a slight note of exotic stone fruit. Quite complex. Some mineral character integrated with fresh, racy acidity. The finish is reasonable; certainly refreshing and good value.”
“Ripe nose of cherry fruit, potpourri, clove, some smoke and vanilla. Elegant mouthfeel, some notes of dried berry fruit, violets, with moderate depth, tannin and acidity. Good quality organic wine with admirable length and complexity.”
“Good value Negroamaro. Simple, but well balanced and well made. Clean, fruit-driven style aiming to show varietal character. A little touch of cherry and clove on the finish.”
“Another great value Negroamaro wine. Lots of bramble fruit and underbrush on the nose. Wild blackberry, raspberry and a subtle note of blueberry set the tone. On the palate this is soft and round but freshened up with the variety’s typical acidity. Finishes with a little black pepper grip.”
“Intense black fruit on the nose alongside perfumes of cherry and freshly cut violet. A touch of ‘asspassimento’ in the vinification process leads to a rich, velvety palate, while vines planted in 1935 almost certainly offer additional fruit concentration. Well structured with uplifting acidity, this is one of the great wines of Salento - complex notes of black pepper and sweet spice characterise a long, luscious finish.”
“Grapes are left to hang on the vine for a while longer. The result is a rich wine with concentrated notes of black fruit. Big style, but well made nevertheless. Explosive, full of ripe fruit, sweet spice and the trappings of extended oak ageing. Tasting it eight years down the road there are some tertiary notes of earthy mushroom coming through but this is still very fresh. Lots of acidity and tannin to protect it for another decade (or two). Finishes dry, with a note of mint riding a wave of warm alcohol. A bit on the ‘ripe’ side for me personally, but still a very impressive wine and a fine advert for the region.”
Producing around four million bottles a year, Paolo Leo is one of the bigger players in the Salento area of Puglia. That being said, the company produce some excellent value wines, particularly in the DOCs of Primitivo di Manduria and Salice Salentino.
One of the oldest wineries in Italy, Apollonio produces a range of excellent wines from Puglia. While the focus is on the traditional grapes of Salento, the winery is also helping to lead a campaign to showcase Copertino as a premium wine producing appellation.
The historic Leone De Castris winery pioneered the Negroamaro Rosato style with their Five Roses wine. Today this large winery produces a range of varietal wines throughout Puglia.
Cantine Due Palme is the biggest winery in Puglia, producing around twenty million bottles per year. Although the majority is bulk wine, the top range of Salice Salentino wines are amongst the best in the region.
Cantina Fiorentino is a quality focussed producer in the Salento area of Puglia. In 2016 Cantina Fiorentino acquired Luigi Vallone’s historic Valle Dell’Asso winery. Today the estate focusses on Negroamaro and Primitivo.
Rivera is one of the key names associated with quality winemaking in Puglia. For decades the estate has been a pioneer of the Nero di Troia grape and its role in the Castel del Monte appellation.
