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Masserie Civitella 2008 Rossone Salento IGT
Wine Specs
This combination of Negro Amaro and Malvasia Nera fruit is an amazing example of the quality of wines produced in the Salento region of Apulia, better known as the heel of the boot. Fruity fragrances of red berries align with aromas of wood for a perfumed bouquet that beckons. In the mouth, more red berry flavors culminate in a fruity yet rustic, earthy Italian delight.
Gold, Exceptional, Best Buy, 2010 World Wine Championships:
"Aromas of chocolate covered boysenberries, graham crackers, pink pepper and nuts follow through on a silky entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with very good depth and seamless balance. Finishes with a pleasing apple, nectarine and slate accented fade with polite tannins. A delightfully crafted table wine or sipper." (6/14/2010)
Region & Varietal Notes
When we think of Italian red wine, most of us conjure up mental images of central and northern Italy -- Chianti, Barolo or perhaps Babaresco. But southern Italy can also be a very rewarding hunting ground for wine of interest with good value.
Dubbed Oenotria ("the land of wine") by the ancient Greeks, the six regions of southern Italy (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Molise and Puglia) live up to their name, producing 40% of the country's wine output. Puglia (also known as Apulia) -- the "heel" of the booth-shaped peninsula -- is sometimes called "Italy's California" for its warm climate and fertile farmlands. It is renowned as one of the most fertile areas in all of Italy and becoming increasingly popular as a hotbed for great bargains. The flat peninsula at its southern tip is known as Salento, and it is in this zone that robust, rustic, juicy red wines are crafted from Negro Amaro and Malvasia Nera grapes.
For the Masserie Civitella 2008 Rossone, the winemaker chose to blend 80% negro Amaro, one of the most widely planted varietals in Italy, with 20% Mavasia Nera, a black grape unique to the Salentine Peninsula. Traditionally cultivated as a blending grape, Negro Amaro is the leading grape of Puglia, producing deep-colored, intense wines with strong notes of tropical spices that are high in alcohol, as well as lively roses. Malvasia Nera is often blended with Negro Amaro to soften the wine.
When you drink this wine, close your eyes and imagine the "Masseria" ... an old farmhouse in the middle of Apulian countryside, where the deep passion for producing wine is reflected in the color and intensity of this Rossone. One sip of this superior blend will take you there.
Wine Profile
