Vigneti Canosini Tufarello Nero di Troia Puglia IGP

On arrival at the winery, the grapes were de-stemmed and gently crushed before fermentation and maceration on the skins, in stainless steel tanks between 30-32°C for 15 days. After fermentation, the wine was aged in barriques for four months.

Tufarello, in Puglia, is part of the Fantini group, founded by Valentino Sciotti in 1994 to produce top-quality wine from Abruzzo and (later) southern Italy as a whole. These wines are made by Danilo Gizzi, who is part of the Fantini winemaking team, with acclaimed winemaker Alberto Antonini acting as a consultant. The resulting wine is made from Nero di Troia grapes grown around Canosa di Puglia. Though some attribute the name to its Greek origins (from the city of Troy), the name in fact, derives from the nearby town of Troia, named by the Greek invader Diomedes.

Their 30-hectare, old bush-vine vineyard is trained using the albarello method and produces grapes of outstanding quality. The aim in the winery is to preserve the freshness and vibrancy of the fruit. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and spends about two weeks on the skins: “Enough to extract flavour and structure, but not enough to smother the fresh fruit with hard tannins”, says Alberto. A small amount of oak treatment adds richness but does not diminish freshness. The result is a robust wine with lovely depth and personality.