NEGROAMARO SALENTO IGT

Tasting notes: This Negroamaro Salento IGT from Feudo Monaci displays a clear purple colour. In the bouquet, in addition to fruity aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, and raspberry, spices, vanilla, and dark chocolate are perceptible. It is very balanced on the palate, with a rich structure.

Origin: Salice Salentino, province of Lecce, in Puglia

Grape varieties: 100% Negroamaro

Year: 2023

Alcohol content: 12.5%

Serving temperature: Should be served between 14° and 16°.

Castello Monaci

The Castello Monaci winery is a splendid 210-hectare estate in Salice Salentino. The property has been managed by the same family for four generations and is currently run by Lina Memmo. The estate is located between the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce, and Taranto, exposed to the influence of both the Ionian and Adriatic Seas.

The castle is an imposing fortification dating back to a settlement of ancient French monks from the first half of the 16th century. Next to it is an important museum, dating from the 1930s, that highlights the history of local viticulture. Built in the 1970s, Monaci's barrel-shaped cellar was excavated into the white tufa rock, the deepest layer of soil in the surrounding vineyards. Today, it houses over 1000 barrels.

The winery is equipped with modern winemaking facilities, including a refrigerated pressing system with small-capacity stainless steel tanks, thermoconditioned with a double chamber, to allow for the separate vinification of limited quantities of grapes, enhancing the specific character of each plot.

Leonardo Sergio has been the winemaker and production manager since 2001. Born in 1962, he graduated in Agronomy in 1981 and obtained the title of Oenologist in 1984 from the Basile Caramia di Locorotondo Oenological Institute. For thirteen years, he worked as a wine consultant for 12 wineries in Puglia and 3 in Calabria, managing the entire production chain: from grape cultivation to bottling.

Castello Monaci believes in an even broader concept of sustainability, which considers the correct management of production to minimize the carbon footprint and the impact of winemaking.