Getting to know Pugliese wines with two native grapes. One might be compared to modern music with its unexpected notes and unusual rhythms—and quite satisfying in its way.
Italy: Puglia, Part 2
I continued my explorations of the wines of Puglia this week, adding some Pugliese foods in an attempt to get closer to the terroir of the region. Of course it does not have the immediacy of sitting at a shaded table enjoying “la tavola pugliese” with a breeze rippling off the Adriatic, languidly nibbling on maccheroni al forno and sipping a wine that is made in the next village and never leaves the area. But since we have the ability in East Hampton to find foods and wines exported from this ancient viticulture region, why not experience at least a facsimile of life there?
Puglia is poor in many respects. The soil is poor and rocky, which is ideal for grape and olive production. The economy falls behind that of the more prosperous north. But it is rich in a mild Mediterranean climate, a long and varied coastline that with its southern peninsula includes the heel of the boot of Italy, and a bountiful agriculture. It is one of the world’s largest wine producers, and it provides most of Italy’s seafood and half its olive oil.
I commented last week on two wines made in Puglia by Tormaresca, a winery owned by Antinori, the legendary winemaker best known for developing “Super Tuscan” wines on their Chianti estates. Super Tuscan is not an Italian government classification, and in fact it was to have more freedom in grape choices and winemaking methods that Antinori first began producing these wines. Classification aside, the quality astounded wine lovers and Super Tuscans won a huge following, especially in the United States. With this kind of winemaking creativity and marketing savvy in their background, I could not help but be curious about the newer Antinori operations in Puglia.
After enjoying a nice, simple, negroamaro and cabernet blend last week, I was most interested in trying negroamaro, a native grape, on its own in a more ambitious rendering. Its most vivid feature is an evanescently bitter, leafy undertone that contrasts and balances in just the right proportion with the tender, sweet elements and soft tannins. This is a departure from the big, round, fruity wines in a New World style that Europeans increasingly send us to satisfy consumer tastes. Here, there was an edge, a challenging palate rather than a compliant one.
If a good cabernet can be compared to a traditional chamber music piece, this would be the equivalent of modern music. Unexpected notes, unusual scales and rhythms—but in the end as complete and satisfying in its way. Try it next to Tormaresca’s Bocca di Lupa (both $28), a classically delicious wine from the aglianco grape. You’ll find two quite different wines from the same region and producer: one rich, welcoming and easily accessible, and the other somewhat more austere, complex and demanding. Or you might also use them as a personality test with your friends.
Primitivo is another grape from Puglia. It is better known to Americans than negroamaro or aglianco, both because it is more familiar on wine store shelves and because it is closely related to the zinfandel grape. It does indeed have a profile similar to zinfandel: deep color, soft, warm, rich, spicy aromas, and a dense, vigorous palate. I sampled a 2003 Torcicoda from Tormaresca. It has a nice balance with black pepper, raisin and plum notes. A hefty 14.5 percent alcohol adds heat to its abundant fruit, but that is an expected part of the picture. High alcohol is a characteristic of the grape, and I’ve read about primitivos with as much as 20 percent alcohol. At $21 it is more expensive than many other primitivo imports, but if you want to explore the varietal, you might as well start off with a benchmark that offers typical primitivo characteristics in a very well crafted version.
By no stretch can chardonnay be considered a part of tradition in Puglia, but the grape is now grown and does well there. Tormaresca makes a crisp, lively chardonnay with apple and citrus predominating. This might not be the season when you are thinking about dry whites, but you’ll need some to pour at holiday parties, and at only $10 a bottle Tormaresca would be a sound choice.
