Puer Apuliae Castel del Monte DOC

Puer Apuliae or “Son of Puglia”: so was called Frederick II of Swabia, the 13th century Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire who loved this region so much that he had the Castel del Monte, his most incredible and mysterious monument, built here, leaving an indelible memorial for the whole of humanity. Thus we called this wine Puer Apuliae, for being the child of the most representative indigenous black grape variety in central Puglia: Nero di Troia. It is a wine of considerable character and style, obtained from an almost-forgotten small-berried clone of Nero di Troia selected in Rivera’s oldest vineyards. Modern-style vinification and ageing in new barriques have enabled us to make a wine in which the typical aromas of this variety, violets and star anise, are strongly present, supported by a really full-bodied palate.
VARIETIES: 100% “small-berry” Nero di Troia (extremely rare clone selected in
Rivera’s oldest vineyards).
WINE MAKING: The grapes are picked between the last week of October and the first of November. Maceration in stainless steel lasts 20 days, with frequent pump-overs and delestage for maximum extraction of aroma and colour compounds, micro-oxygenation softens the considerable tannin content.
AGEING: After fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in new French oak barriques, where it matures for 14 months. The wine is neither cold stabilized nor filtered; it is given a further 12 months’ bottleageing be-fore release
ANALYTICAL DATA: Alcohol: 14%, Total acidity: 5.65 g/l, pH: 3.43, Residual sugar: 1,60 g/l, Total S02: 75 mg/l
PRODUCTION AREA: The Murgia hills area northwest of Bari, in the Castel del Monte D.O.C. zone.
VINEYARDS: Vineyard “Tafuri”, located at an altitude of 250 metres at the foot of the Murgia hills with very poor calcareous soils, is trained to the spurred cordon system at 4,800 vines per hectare. Average yield is 50-60 quintals per hectare.
TASTING NOTES: Deep, impenetrable purple-red colour; intense, fresh aromas of dark berry, star anise, and violets; concentrated, full-bodied flavours on the palate, with lingering, spicy black berry fruit; close-knit but soft tannins on the finish.
RECOMMENDED WITH: The concentration and intensity of this wine, as well as its modern style, make it the perfect partner to full-flavoured, rich dishes such as
red meat, roasts, game, meat with flavourful sauces and aged cheeses. Serve at 18 °C, uncorking the bottle a few hours before serving; alternatively, decant the wine into a carafe to allow the wine to breathe.
CELLARING: If correctly stored, will age for 12-15 years in the bottle.