Appassimento Rosso Puglia IGT, Botter, Puglia, Italy, 2020   

Grapes: A blend of Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera and Merlot hand picked with three or four months' oak ageing. 

A deep red colour. Late maturation gives the characteristic notes of ripe and dried fruits, such as plums and raisins. The oak ageing gives the wine pleasant notes of chocolate and spices. 

VINIFICATION: At the beginning of October the perfect ripeness of the grapes is reached and winemaking process starts from the vine. The withering process takes place in the vineyard by cutting the petiole of grapes but leaving them on the vine for about 15 days, during this period the 50% of their weight vaporises. The drying gives to the wines the typical notes of ripe fruits, such as plums and raisins. The hand-picked grapes are pressed and the fermentation starts. The skins are left on the must for a long period to extract flavours and the characteristic red colour. Subsequently the wine is left in barrels for about 3 or 4 months; this ageing gives the pleasant notes of spices and vanilla. 

Rated 98/100 points, (Consistency: 32, Balance: 33, Integrity: 33) Luca Maroni, April 2021. A very impressive score for a £10 wine!

Great wine for roasted meats and with game dishes such as wild boar and venison. Excellent with mature and savoury hard cheeses.