2010
Guide to the Wines of Apulia and Basilicata Director: Giuseppe De Tomaso Edisud Spa - Viale Scipione l'Africano, 264 - Bari Graphics and Coordination: Tirsomedia - Via Sangiorgi, 15 - Bari Introductions to territories by the Apulian Wine Tourism Movement Translation: Sarah Jane Christopher Tasting Panel: President of tasting panels: Leonardo Palumbo - President Oenologists’ Association for Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria Members: Oenologists’ Association: Luigi Cantatore, Pasquale Tamborra, Giovanni Colucci, Luca Petrelli, Benedetto Lorusso, Francesco Mazzone, Michele Savino, Massimiliano Apollonio, Elio Minoia, Vincenzo Baldari, Angelo Mauriello, Gianni Masi, Luigi Tarricone Restaurateurs and wine retailers: Giuseppe Fato, Beppe Schino, Fulvio Nobile Texts finished: 30 September 2009 Printing: Simeto Docks srl - Via B. Grassi, 7 - Catania Printed: November 2009 Publicity: Publikompass Spa - Via G. Washington, 70 - Milan
© Edisud Spa 2009 All rights reserved Edisud Spa - BARI Reg. Trib. Bari n. 45/04 15 October 2004
Codice DBK ISBN 978-88-95281-17-9
guidavini@gazzettadelmezzogiorno.it
GUIDE TO THE WINES OF APULIA AND BASILICATA
2010 edition
INDEX Introduction Preface by Oenologists’ Association How to read the guide Excellence Glassware Bottles Glasses Cultivation systems Apulia Presentation Apulia Doc Map of Apulia Apulian vines Daunia Murge Valle d'Itria Messapia Alto Salento Basso Salento Basilicata Presentation Basilicata Doc Map of Basilicata Grapes Basilicata Vulture and Sassi Alphabetic index for Apulia Alphabetic index for Basilicata Index of place names in Apulia Index of place names in Basilicata
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6 8 10 13 17 18 21 25 29 30 32 35 43 67 111 129 173 233 261 262 264 267 271 298 305 307 315
INTRODUCTION The year 2010 will see some positive changes, with consumption rising again and the economy beginning to move once more. The last year has been hard and tiring, making us even more determined to support the producers of Apulia and Basilicata in their efforts to valorise and to produce excellent wines. We also aim to help wine lovers by providing them with a useful updated guidebook to help them discover as much as possible about the fascinating wine culture of our two southern Italian Regions. There are some new developments in the sixth edition of this guide to the wines of Apulia and Basilicata. The first and most tangible novelty is the publication of an English edition, because it is now evident that the reference market for our wineries is the whole world. This is seen in the encouraging export figures, and also in the many international promotional and marketing events involving our two Regions. The English edition aims to contribute to this process of international communication and to provide buyers, restaurateurs, wine sellers, and overseas consumers with some needed information about the wines of Apulia and Basilicata. The second novelty concerns the tasting commission, this year conducted by the Oenologists’ Association (Assoenologi). These experienced professionals are directly involved in wine production and have carried out a careful and objective evaluation of over six hundred labels. This has made it possible to see wine from another viewpoint: that of the people who have inside knowledge of the wine-growing and wine-making behind the production of quality wines. Restaurateurs and expert consumers have also worked alongside the
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oenologists to make complete evaluations by giving the opinions of the “end users� of the wine. A new layout and new contents will make this information more easily accessible, and readers will be able to appreciate the wines in a wider and more articulated way – in a culinary context. There is a tribute to the traditional cuisine of every single area of wine production, and we are certain that this will make the many wine tourists who intend to visit the wine-growing lands of Apulia and Basilicata curious to discover more. We hope that these innovations will contribute to the development and growth of the whole sector.
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Leonardo Palumbo President of Oenologists’ Association for Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria
It is clear that a guidebook cannot cover all the vast and varied complexity of a Region’s wines, but the intention here is like that of the previous editions: to offer readers and potential consumers an updated map of the wines and wineries whose excellent products deserve a mention. It is evident to all of us that Apulian wineries have made giant steps in improving quality, with more refined, balanced wines now consolidated on the market. These express their terroir of course, but also correspond to the expectations of consumers who have become more knowledgeable and demanding. It is obvious that behind these wines there have been real revolutions in the wineries, not only in the use of new technologies, but even more so in the skills and expertise of the actual technicians involved. They are the real creators in this process of wine-making which I would go so far as to call mystical, because there is a mystical element in the way nature and its chemical reactions encounter the creative fantasy of the oenologist. This combination
produces something which is always new and different, yet always true to itself. It is mystical because not everything can be explained, and not everything is predictable; there is an arcane quantity which science cannot grasp, in the transformation of geometrically perfect grapes into that lively liquid bursting with energy, the drink of Dionysus. It is true that there is a mystical quality in the patient waiting this transformation demands, as if there were a real life developing from the plant materials to become an exhilarating spirit. We, as experts, watch this development in amazement, and monitor it constantly right to the end, applying our specialist knowledge and also our intuition so that we offer nature, culture, history and tradition in one bottle. Wine is not just a product, wine is the translation of a land, in all of its many forms of expression. I hope that this guide will help our readers to enjoy some moments of real pleasure and satisfaction as you explore the wines of Apulia and Basilicata, and that you will fall in love with these proud and generous lands.
HOW TO READ THIS GUIDE The guide invites you to discover the wines of Apulia and Basilicata and gives a complete description of the wineries in each territory.
GUIDE TO THE WINES OF APULIA AND BASILICATA
The two regions are introduced by maps showing the main vines of the area and the list of recognised Doc and Igt wines. Alphabetic indexes of the wineries and territories complete the guide.
2010 edition
THE TERRITORIES
The macro-areas are a sub-division of the territory according to typology of the winegrowing area. Apulia has six large areas: Daunia, Murgia, Valle d’Itria, Messapia, Alto Salento and Basso Salento.
DAUNIA
MURGE
VALLE D’ITRIA
MESSAPIA
Fasano Trinitapoli
Villa Castelli Minervino Murge
Grottaglie Conversano Turi
Castellana Grotte
San Marzano
Lama Pulsano
Cassano
Maruggio
Marina di Pulsano Santeramo
ALTO SALENTO
BASSO SALENTO
SASSI AND VULTURE
LAVELLO MELFI
RAPOLLA BARILE RIONERO IN VULTURE VENOSA
BANZI
MATERA
Nardò
POTENZA
Aradeo Tuglie
Squinzano Campi Salentina Novoli San Pancrazio Salice Salentino Salentino Veglie (MAGLIANO) Copertino
Cutrofiano
Collepasso
Gallipoli Cutrofiano
TURSI
Alezio
Parabita
Viggiano ROCCANOVA
Depressa di Tricase
NOVASIRI
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HOW TO READ THIS GUIDE
The winery trade mark
Brief description of the winery The producer’s choice of wines
Winery details Other wines produced
THE SIMBOLS The evaluation of the wine is shown by a bottle. The points are expressed in sections of the bottle. These range from a minimum of two to a maximum of five for an excellent wine.
Evaluations Average wine with interesting room for development
Good wine with good character
Excellent, elegant wine
Excellent wine with excellent character
Types White
Rosé
Red
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THE EXCELLENCES
THE EXCELLENCES APULIA DAUNIA Il Griccio Rosso da dessert 2008 Agricole Alberto Longo La Dama Forestiera di d'Araprì 2003 d`Araprì Spumante Classico MURGE Primitivo Gioia del Colle Riserva Rosso doc 2006 Azienda Agricola Giuliani Raffaele Il Paturno Puglia Rosso igt 2007 Barsento Tufjano Puglia Bianco igt 2008 Colli della Murgia Pungirosa Castel del Monte Rosato doc 2008 Rivera 0,618 Castel del Monte Riserva Rosso doc 2000 Santa Lucia Masseria Maìme Salento Rosso igt 2007 Tormaresca VALLE D'ITRIA Faraone Valle d'Itria Bianco igt 2008 I Pastini MESSAPIA Madrigale Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale doc 2006 Produttori Vini Manduria Sessantanni Primitivo di Manduria doc 2006 Feudi di San Marzano Es Primitivo di Manduria Rosso doc 2007 Gianfranco Fino Viticoltore Passione Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale doc 2003 Vinicola Savese
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THE EXCELLENCES
ALTO SALENTO Leucos Salento Bianco igt 2008 Azienda Agricola Giovanni Petrelli Teresa Manara Salento Rosso igt 2006 Cantele Selvarossa Salice Salentino Riserva Rosso doc 2005 Cantine Due Palme Saturnino Salento Rosato igt 2008 Tenute Rubino BASSO SALENTO Nero Conti Zecca Salento Rosso igt 2006 Azienda Agricola Conti Zecca
BASILICATA Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture doc 2007 Azienda Agricola Basilisco Il Sigillo Aglianico del Vulture doc 2005 Cantine del Notaio Terre di Orazio Aglianico doc 2007 Cantina di Venosa
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GLASSWARE
BOTTLES The development of wine bottles is connected to two main factors: the local traditions, and the commercial needs of the producers. The shape, colour, and the material of which they are made are always the result of a combination of local culture and concrete technical advantages. In this section you will discover, observe, and recognise some examples of bottles which differ in their area of origin and in their base, body, shoulders and neck.
Bordeaux. Derives its name from the Bordeaux region. Shaped like a cylinder with pronounced shoulders.
Classic Bordeaux. Slightly lower than the Bordeaux.
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BOTTLES
Champagne. Made from a particular type of glass, thicker than usual to withstand internal pressure.
Alsace or Rhine. Derives its name from the Rhineland area. Elongated form without shoulders.
Albeisa. Derives its name from the Alba area in Piemonte.
Burgundy. Shake like a cone with a long neck and no shoulders.
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BOTTLES
Amphoretta or Provençale. Typical of Verdicchio and Côte de Provence, hence the two names.
High shouldered Bordeaux. Also called Goliath, and one of the most common types.
High shouldered Bordeaux 0.5 litre. Generally used for sweet wines due to its size.
Champagne Cuvée. Similar to Champagne but with a wider base.
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WINE GLASSES Wine tasting involves the eyes, the nose and the tongue. In order to correctly evaluate wine it is important for wine glasses to have some very precise features. They must be transparent and odourless, and can be made of glass or crystal, with different shapes according to the wine they have to contain. Here we will show you some pictures of the most commonly used wine glasses and tell you for which wines they are most suitable. Glasses can be tulip-, apple- or egg-shaped, for still wines, sparkling wines or spirits.
Fl没te. The typical glass for champagne and dry sparkling wines.
Medium glass used for mediumstructured white wines and young reds.
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WINE GLASSES
Its long stem and medium capacity make this glass suitable for aromatic white wines and rosĂŠ wines.
This glass is suitable for fullbodied and mediumstructured reds or for important white wines.
Balloon glass for classic structured red wines with few tannins.
Like the balloon this is suitable for important red wines, but with more tannins.
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WINE GLASSES
Glass for sweet “muffati� wines, gently shake and curved inwards at the rim.
A wider and taller glass for wines with an extraordinary, superlative structure.
Distinctive glass for fruit spirits and grappa.
Tulip glass with a slight outward curve at the rim, and ideal for wines made using dried grapes.
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CULTIVATION METHODS
CULTIVATIONS Apulia contains much of the variability of the Italian wine scene, in terms of the different types of vines grown here, the different cultivation systems, the levels of production, and the types of wine made: it is a kind of “laboratory” which has turned out some splendid flavours for decades, and also come to the aid of wine production in many other regions. Vines are grown in our region which have a “flowering-maturation” cycle of 90 days and then about 145 days of growth, with production levels ranging from 4-5 tonnes per hectare to eight or nine times this figure, with different cultivation methods. The traditional “alberello” head training system is still a feature of the Salento countryside, but is constantly losing ground. The alberello is almost condemned to disappear because of the cultivation costs it involves, but it encapsulates the ancient history, the elegance of form, the perfection of plant physiology, the ancestral bond between man and vine and the handing on of an “inheritance” from one generation to another. The trellis system of cultivation using Cordon Training with vertical shoot positioning and Guyot or cordon pruning, is now the favourite choice among growers, in a kind of extraordinary, silent revolution. In this way high plant density can be combined with highly mechanised crop management and increased potential for wine production. The more extensive type of tendone trellis cultivation system survives in the Capitanata area near Foggia; this is a technique which maximises production levels, and at the same time produces decent wines. 26
CULTIVATIONS
alberello
controspalliera
tendone
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APULIA
PRESENTATION Dario Stefàno Apulia Region Agro-Food Resources Councillor
To recount a Region through its wines is a bit like going on a journey of discovery. A journey which, as far as I am concerned, never fails to astonish and enchant. I have also had the opportunity to make this journey in my work as Regional Councillor for Agro-Food Resources. It has been a real journey, involving meetings, fact-finding trips, handshakes and frank and honest exchanges. One of the most meaningful experiences for me has been the inauguration of the 2009 Grape Harvest. I chose to be right there “in the field” with the rows of vines and to travel around Apulia, in the midst of the men and women who have a tireless commitment to this key sector of our economy. Wine production is the sector which best tells the story of Apulian production to the whole world. And Apulia produces quality. This is the only mean we have of overcoming the difficulties posed by the present economic situation and the effects of an unprecedented world crisis. As I write, the first data are starting to arrive from the Grape Harvest which has just closed. These data confirm the
PRESENTATION
initial predictions of a drop in output, of around 15%, caused by rather bizarre weather conditions; high temperatures were followed by unusual rains penalising all our southern regions. Despite the drop in production, Apulia with its 5,900,000 hectolitres (source: Oenologists’ Association) is still a leading wine producer, second only to the Veneto and Emilia Romagna. And quality – according to the same source – is at good levels, with some peaks of excellence. Let’s remember that Apulia continues to be among the most “ennobled” regions, with its 26 DOC wines and its six proposed DOCG wines. When this is considered together with the proposed changes to the regulations for the production of many DOC wines, the establishment of two denominations linking the name of the vine to its territory (Negroamaro di Terra d’Otranto and Terre di Nero di Troia), and the proposed modifications for Apulian IGT wines, then we have tangible signs of an Apulia directed towards quality, fortified by its unending heritage of local vine varieties. The ambition is to become leading players on the world wine scene, due to this inimitable, unique quality, in which we should all invest.
TERRITORIES OF APULIAN WINES:
MANFREDONIA
Trinitapoli
Minervino Murge
ALEATICO DI PUGLIA
DAUNIA SAN SEVERO Bombino bianco Trebbiano toscano Montepulciano d'Abruzzo CACC'E MMITTE DI LUCERA Nero di Troia Montepulciano ORTANOVA Sangiovese Nero di Troia ROSSO DI CERIGNOLA Nero di Troia Negroamaro
MURGE ROSSO DI CANOSA Nero di Troia MOSCATO DI TRANI Moscato bianco (loc. Moscato di Trani o Reale) ROSSO BARLETTA Nero di Troia CASTEL DEL MONTE Nero di Troia Aglianico Bombino nero Pampanuto Chardonnay Sauvignon Pinot bianco Pinot nero GRAVINA Malvasia del Chianti Greco di Tufo Bianco d'Alessano GIOIA DEL COLLE Primitivo Aleatico Trebbiano toscano
S
DOC, IGT AND MAIN WINES
VALLE D'ITRIA LOCOROTONDO Verdeca Bianco d'Alessano
MARTINA FRANCA
ALTO SALENTO
Verdeca Bianco d'Alessano
OSTUNI
BRINDISI
Impigno Ottavianello
SQUINZANO
Negroamaro Negroamaro
SALICE SALENTINO Negroamaro Aleatico Chardonnay Pinot bianco
MESSAPIA LIZZANO Negroamaro Malvasia nera Trebbiano toscano
COPERTINO Negroamaro
PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA Primitivo
COLLINE JONICHE TARANTINE Primitivo Chardonnay Verdeca Cabernet Sauvignon Primitivo
BASSO SALENTO
LEVERANO Malvasia bianca Negroamaro
GALATINA Negroamaro Chardonnay
NARDÒ
Negroamaro
ALEZIO
Adelfia
Negroamaro
MATINO
Conversano Turi
Castellana Grotte
Negroamaro
Cassano
Fasano
anteramo
Crispiano
Villa Castelli Torre S. Susanna Grottaglie
Squinzano Campi Salentina Novoli San Pancrazio Salice Salentino Salentino Veglie (MAGLIANO)
San Marzano
Lama Pulsano
Copertino
Maruggio
Marina di Pulsano Nardò
Aradeo Tuglie
Cutrofiano
Collepasso
Gallipoli Cutrofiano Alezio
Parabita
Depressa di Tricase Taviano
APULIAN GRAPES
WHITE GRAPES BIANCO D’ALESSANO This is one of the white grapes of the Murge and Valle d'Itria areas. We find it in Gravina, Martina, Locorotondo, Ostuni and Lizzano doc wines. In recent years there has been great interest in some wines which use this variety unblended.
BOMBINO BIANCO This is a grape grown in the whole region. It is the main variety used in some important white doc wines such as Castel del Monte (with pampanuto), San Severo (blended with trebbiano toscano) and Leverano (with malvasia bianca).
CHARDONNAY An international vine in its regional expression. Chardonnay is obviously not a native of Apulia, but is very widespread here due to the excellent local conditions. Castel del Monte, Lizzano, Salice Salentino are doc wines which use this variety.
FIANO Originally from neighbouring Campania, fiano has found its ideal habitat in Apulia, especially in the Valle d'Itria, and is used in the Locorotondo and Martina doc wines.
FRANCAVIDDA The Upper Salento, especially the province of Brindisi, gives us another wonderful wine grape, used in Ostuni Doc blended with impigno, bianco d'Alessano and verdeca in percentages from 15 to 50%.
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APULIAN GRAPES
GRECO BIANCO Greco is used in Gravina doc together with malvasia bianca and bianco d'Alessano, and is another example of a grape which expresses the character of this remarkable white wine-producing area.
IMPIGNO Here is a local variety, another “pearl� of Apulian wines. It is used in Ostuni doc in varying amounts from 50 to 85%, together with francavidda and also bianco d'Alessano and verdeca.
MALVASIA BIANCA This local variety is mostly blended in many Apulian doc wines, such as Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera, San Severo, Locorotondo, Martina, Gravina, Lizzano and Leverano.
MOSCATO REALE Moscato bianco or moscato reale are the names of one of the best known and most typical local grapevines in Apulia. Moscato grapes produce Moscato di Trani doc, a naturally sweet wine coming from the areas of Bari and Foggia, and is also produced as a sweet fortified wine.
PAMPANUTO Castel del Monte doc is the wine which makes most use of pampanuto (also known as pampanino), used together with chardonnay or bombino bianco.
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APULIAN GRAPES
SAUVIGNON Here is another example of a non-native variety which has found an ideal habitat here in Apulia. Like chardonnay, it is used especially in the Castel del Monte, Lizzano and Salice Salentino doc wines.
VERDECA Verdeca is very important in Locorotondo and Martina doc wines, used at 50 to 65%. It is also used in Gravina doc, with other important white grapes like bombino bianco or trebbiano toscano.
RED GRAPES AGLIANICO This variety is usually associated with neighbouring Basilicata, but also has a long tradition in Apulia, where it is very important in Castel del Monte doc, which specifically requires aglianico red and rosé.
ALEATICO This native vine is present in the whole region and produces a naturally sweet wine. Aleatico is also the name of the doc wine which also uses negroamaro, malvasia nera and primitivo in lower percentages.
BOMBINO NERO This variety is also known as “bambino” or “buonvino” and has a long history, with high productivity and abundant juice yields. It is mostly grown in Apulia, in the areas of Lizzano and Castel del Monte.
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APULIAN GRAPES
MALVASIA NERA LECCE E BRINDISI This grape is very widespread in the Salento peninsula, from the Taranto area right across to the provinces of Brindisi and Lecce. It is used in the Lizzano, Brindisi, Squinzano, Salice Salentino, Leverano, Copertino, Nardò, Matino and Alezio doc wines. MONTEPULCIANO This variety is originally from outside Apulia, but has found a perfect environment here. Montepulciano is very widespread in the province of Foggia, used in the following doc wines: San Severo, Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera, Ortanova, Rosso di Cerignola and Rosso Canosa, and also in the Castel del Monte and Lizzano doc wines, as well as in the Leverano, Copertino and Alezio doc wines from the Salento.
NEGROAMARO This grape is the symbol of wine production in the Salento area, which is increasingly well known and closely connected with this variety which is also becoming more popular in other areas of Apulia. Negroamaro is used in Rosso di Cerignola doc, and also in Lizzano, Brindisi, Squinzano, Salice Salentino, Leverano, Copertino, Nardò, Galatina, Matino and Alezio doc wines.
NERO DI TROIA The area known as “Frederick's lands”, which runs from the north of Bari province to the province of Foggia is best represented by nero di Troia. This variety alone or blended with other varieties is used in the Castel del Monte, Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera, Ortanova, Rosso di Cerignola, and Rosso Canosa doc wines.
NOTARDOMENICO This rare variety is grown in the Upper Salento, mostly in the province of Brindisi, and is used to produce Ostuni doc at a percentage of up to 15%.
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APULIAN GRAPES
OTTAVIANELLO This is another example of a variety which has survived due to the persistence and passion of local growers. Ottavianello is grown in the province of Brindisi and is one of the varieties used in Ostuni doc.
PRIMITIVO According to tradition, primitivo was planted first near Gioia del Colle in the Province of Bari by the Benedictine monks. Towards the end of the 1700s, the priest Don Filippo Francesco Indellicati selected a clone and called it “primativo� because it ripened early. This variety then found ideal growing conditions around Manduria in the Province of Taranto, and became a world ambassador for Apulian wines.
SANGIOVESE Sangiovese did not originate in Apulia, but is widely cultivated in the region. It is used for San Severo, Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera, Ortanova, Rosso di Cerignola and Rosso Canosa doc wines, but also for those from Gioia del Colle and Lizzano, as well as for the Salento doc wines Brindisi, Squinzano, Leverano, Copertino, Alezio and Matino.
SUSSUMANIELLO This variety is used in small percentages in Ostuni and Brindisi Doc wines, and in recent years has been rediscovered and used unblended to make wine. This is another confirmation of the deep attachment of Apulian growers to their homeland, and their untiring commitment to preserving and enhancing their heritage.
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