Apollonio Salice Salentino Rosso 2020  £17.69

APOLLONIO SALICE SALENTINO ROSSO 

The wines of Puglia have never received as much interest as they do now. Tasting Apollonio’s wines shows that attention is now justified. Great care is taken to produce wines of uniquely southern Italian character from local varietals. Ageing typically takes place in barrel and then bottle for extended periods before release. Powerful and complex, the wines have flavours of ripe, dark fruits and leather, attractive weight, richness and balanced tannin. They brilliantly represent the terroir and climate of Puglia, beautifully elegant in their structure and style.

20 year old bush vines. Trunks are kept short: 40-40 cm high; few buds (6-8) in order to ensure high quality yields. The temperature is mild thanks to the influence of the sea, which offers long, sunny summers. Cold season is short and mild. Region: mostly flat areas dotted with a few low hills. The region has a calcareous structure. Harvest: hand picking, after the grapes are fully ripe. In order to obtain a good structure, harvest is delayed so as to facilitate the concentration of sugar and extractive substances.

Vinification, maceration and malolactic fermentation in big tanks made of Slavonian oak.

A robust wine with a velvety, harmonious balance and a persistent fruity finish. Deeply ruby red in colour with intense, elegant fragrances of blackberries and plums. On the palate it is pleasant, well-structured but with a good vinous and ethereal acid balance. Firm yet soft tannins.

For a food match pair with red meats, mixed boiled meats, cooked salamis, and fermented, hard cheeses.