Tufarello Nero di Troia 2019

The wine is made from Nero di Troia grapes, a grape variety typical of the Canosa di Puglia region in northern Puglia . Although some attribute the name of this grape to its Greek origins (from the city of Troy), the name actually derives from the nearby city of Troia, named by the Greek invader Diomedes. This wine comes from 30-year-old vines planted at an altitude of 125 meters and located 20 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. The harvest is done manually , then the grapes are destemmed and delicately crushed before fermenting and macerating for a long time on the skins for 15 days. Then, the wine was aged in oak barrels for 4 months . On the palate, we detect lovely aromas of plum , wild blueberry , blackberry , red and black cherry , chocolate , pepper , tobacco , vanilla as well as some floral notes. It is a wine with good substance and melted tannins. Nothing seems heavy because the whole is well balanced by a frank acidity. It is elegant, generous and has a nice length on the finish.

Ah Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, people of the Dolce Vita, but what difficulty in understanding its wine organization! The key to understanding the naming system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous country because each region has its own naming system. Italy can, however, give wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, as well as bottles filled with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless and characterless wines which are sold under their most useful and commercially reputable name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let's talk a little history, viticulture in Italy dates back to ancient times and it originated in Greece. The Etruscans would have planted vines and Greek immigrants would have improved and modified the grape varieties who subsequently called this country "Oenotria": the country of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life and certain regions already stood out for the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible testimony to their invasion. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic areas. The northern mountains experience a fairly harsh mountain climate. The “middle of the boot” plain is the domain of the continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the "southern part of the Italian boot" the Mediterranean climate reigns with very hot and very dry summers without forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In summary, Italy produces wines of great variety thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originate from their lands. It is a country just as complex as its wines which deserve to be explored!