Agricole Vallone: Knockout Example Of Negroamaro

Agricole Vallone, which is comprised of 420 acres, was founded almost 80 years ago. It sits in Brindisi, which is part of the Salento Peninsula. The estate is comprised of three distinct vineyards, within which are both newly planted vines and blocks of plantings that date back as far as the winery's beginnings in the 1930s. Here's a peek at the current vintage of their most prized and sought-after wine.

The Agricole Vallone 2009 Graticciaia was produced from fruit sourced in Brindisi on the Salento Peninsula (IGP). This wine was made entirely from negroamaro. The fruit came from a 10-hectare parcel that features vines 70 to 80 years old. After being hand-harvested and selected, the grapes are dried on racks. Once they have withered, they undergo slow fermentation at closely controlled cool temperatures. Barrel aging took place over 12 months in exclusively French oak. A mere 2,000 six-bottle cases of this wine were produced, and it for $100.

The deep red hue of this negroamaro is beautiful and immediately striking. The aromas that emerge from this wine's nose are deeply perfumed, intense, and layered. They're mirrored on the palate by dark fruit flavors such as black cherry and plum. These are accompanied by anise and a hint of chocolate, which lead to a far-ranging core of spice characteristics. Leather, mushroom, black tea, bay leaf, and tobacco are all part of the finish, which has remarkable length, persistence, and lovely warmth to it.

This is a remarkably polished wine that shows off a focused intensity that has grace and elegance to spare. The palate has remarkable depth and sophistication, coating taste buds with wave after wave of flavor. Similarly, the finish is incredible both in length and complexity. This wine is remarkably delicious now, particularly after a couple of hours in the decanter. However, it has lots of aging potential ahead of it and a decade or so under proper storage conditions will certainly be rewarded. In any case, get your hands on this wine if you can; it'll blow you away.