Wines from South
Raids in APULIA (part one)
by Ugo Baldassarre
(translation of the original article)
Pirro Varone
We are in Manduria, the home of Primitivo naturally sweet, but the company does not fail to reserve attention to “Negroamaro“, to “Minutolo” and also for other old varieties. In the range the company is not missing, of course, even the pink, rose or rather two, one version of a firm and crisp. The first, named “Scirocco” to emphasize the typical gust hot summer in the area, shows a beautiful dress very bright cherry red, flavor-typical varieties of rose hips and ripe cherries, entry has sweet, good flavor pleasantly bitter aftertaste and good stretch . The second, “Artù“, is rather unusual onion peel color, mineral and floral aromas, and returns to the great taste sensation of pungency, and in fact the resulting saliva confirms all three atmospheres of pressure relief, and the good structure and the ‘good clean thoroughly characterize this pink drink. Vigne Rare – Fiano Minutolo Salento IGT 2011 is an unusual interpretation of the white grape of Puglia.
The grapes were cultivated with considerable advance of full maturity, one side has retained a great acidity taking very little, on the other, the usual accompanying strong aromatic flavor characteristic of Minutolo. Particularly mineral on the nose, the mouth is mainly fresh and salty, with delicate flavors of green apple and olive brine. The Pirro Varone Doc Manduria Primitivo 2008 is the corporate version of the mighty grape of Puglia: the dark red color, has aromas of ripe black cherry and blackberry jam, with beautiful shades plants marked by aromas of tamarind and juniper berries. The taste you would expect more muscular, whereas it shows linear and persistent with its ripe fruit and smooth tannins, good balance and excellent control of alcohol, well distributed throughout the final. Two versions of naturally sweet wines offered by the company, both labeled with the term “Tocy”, local way of saying for sweet (‘ddoce). The “Tocy” white wine is made from the Fiano Minutolo, worked with late harvest lasted up to 20 days: here the varietal characteristics are very present, with hints of moss and hay, but also with sweet citrus, pink grapefruit and orange flowers .
Excellent acidity in the mouth, characterized by good structure and coherence in the development of taste, without jumping to drink, good return of citrus and dried fruit. The Tocy red Primitivo naturally sweet, which is also marked by a sugar residue of 4 degrees alcohol, is certainly among the best expressions of the new DOCG. The color is dark ruby, it presents aroma with intense aromas of violets, blueberry and candied fruit. The mouth is never monothematic or mundane – issues while frequent in the type – but also rather good freshness and flavor. The taste is fleshy, opulent, velvety tannins and the finish long and powerful.