I Muri Negroamaro, Vigneti del Salento (Italy)

I Muri's wine made with 100% Negroamaro grapes is a warm, ruby red hug in a glass. This hardy, thick-skinned grape varietal thrives in Puglia's Mediterrenean heat, resulting in a wine which displays intense berry flavours, notably blackberry and blackcurrant. It is medium bodied and velvety, fruit-driven with slight savoury notes on the finish. Easy-going yet classy.

The winemaker, Filippo Baccalaro, is a Piemonte native, and has many other wine ventures within Italy. He was attracted to Puglia to produce the I Muri range by the rich, ripe flavours of the fruit, aiming to capture their character with minimal use of technology. The vineyards are mostly situated in the communes of Manduria and Sava and are owned by growers with whom Filippo has been working for many years. Production is lower than its potential, which ensures the best quality grapes are selected. The red soils are calcareous clay and rich in iron, minerals and nutrients. 80% of the grapes come from old bush vines and the rest from trained vines that are at least 20 years old.

The grapes were gently pressed and cooled to 10ºC for a maceration period of 8-10 days with regular pumping over. Yeasts were added to start fermentation, which took place under temperature-controlled conditions of up to 20ºC. The wine was then aged in used American and French oak for 4-5 months before bottling.

Enjoy this wine with a fresh tomato pasta, or with lamb in a herby sauce.