Product Type: Red Wines
Country: Italy
Region: Puglia
Appellation: Puglia IGT
Producer: Tormaresca
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grape Varieties: Negroamaro, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvginon
Closure: Cork

Producer: Tormaresca is made up of two estates in different areas of Puglia: in the central, inland region of Castel del Monte they have Aglianico, and in the Salento peninsula of the extreme south-east, Primitivo and Negroamaro. Cabernet and Chardonnay are grown in both zones, giving the winemaker a broad palette from which to blend the very consistent entry-level wines. Antinori only invested here in 1998, yet in that time Tormaresca has become a flagship of Puglian production.

Vineyard: The Bocca di Lupo estate is planted on poor, chalky soil at 250 metres above sea level; the vines are trained using the double Guyot method, and the Cabernet is typically ready to harvest from early September. The Masseria Maime estate to the south runs along the coast and features a mixture of bush vines and newer cordon-trained plantings. Negroamaro is the last variety to be picked here, normally in mid-September.

Winery: The three varieties were vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, at a maximum of 26C. There is an eight to ten day maceration, followed by the malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged in tank for about eight months and spends four months in bottle before release.

Taste: Red fruits, black cherry and blackcurrant on the nose. On the palate, the spice of the Negroamaro is complemented by the juicy plum jam flavours of Primitivo, resulting in a soft and well-balanced wine.

Awards: 2 glasses, Gambero Rosso 2010

Food combination: Easy drinking, perfect match for Pizza.