Producer
Tormaresca is made up of two estates in different areas of Puglia: in the central, inland region of Castel del Monte they have Aglianico, and in the Salento peninsula of the extreme south-east, Primitivo and Negroamaro. Cabernet and Chardonnay are grown in both zones, giving the winemaker a broad palette from which to blend the very consistent entry-level wines. Antinori only invested here in 1998, yet in that time Tormaresca has become a flagship of Puglian production
Vineyard
Grapes for this wine come from the Bocca di Lupo estate, which lies 250 metres above sea level in the heart of the wild Murgia region. All 100 hectares are under vine principally with Chardonnay, Aglianico and Cabernet Sauvignon. In this region, the vineyards planted on calcareous soil have an irrigation system to guarantee the balanced growth of the plants and perfect maturation of the grapes. The vines have hitherto been grown using the Double Guyot method, though new plantings are being grown on spurred cordons. Picking began with the Syrah on the 6th of September and ended with Aglianico on the 4th of October.
Winery
The three varieties were was vinified separately in temperature-controlled conical tanks at a maximum of 27ºC. There was a fifteen-day maceration, followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel. The wine was aged in French and Hungarian barriques for a total of twelve months before bottling.
