"One of the truly historic names in Puglian wine." – Vinous Media
“Consumer alert - these are dazzling bargains!” – Robert M. Parker, Jr.
In Puglia, one of Italy’s largest bulk wine growing regions, Taurino stands head and shoulders above the rest as a beacon of estate-bottled quality. The estate’s respect for terroir and native varieties is truly inspiring, and their impact on the vinous history of Puglia is undoubtable. Their wines are the benchmarks to which the other wines of the region are compared, both in quality and in value.
The Taurino family has been growing grapes and making wine in Puglia for seven generations, but it was Francesco Taurino who started the family business after World War II to supply Italy and Europe with authentic Apulian wines. Their mission was simple, but not so easy: to protect the legacy of the estate by continuing the traditions that had made them so famous. Today they have eighty hectares of vineyards planted almost exclusively to Negroamaro and Malvasia, expressing the terroir of Salento through the lens of their native varieties, showcasing earthy, spicy, and fruity notes and an authentic and down-to-earth winemaking style.
From 15 to 20-year-old vines planted at 100 meters above sea level, the 2011 Salice Salentino comes from vineyards located in the area of Guagnano, which is cooled by the winds coming from both the Ionian and the Adriatic seas, lending a saline character to the wines. Sustainably-farmed Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera are picked together, after which the final blend is determined not in the cellar, but by the overall percentages of plantings on the property (80-90% Negroamaro, 10-20% Malvasia Nera). They are de-stemmed, crushed, and transferred to stainless steel vats, after which alcoholic fermentation and maceration lasts for fifteen days, followed by racking and natural malolactic fermentation. The wine then ages in medium-toast French oak barrels (2+ years old) for sixteen months before bottling. The result is an delicious, spicy, and tobacco-scented wine of great classicism and character, and a more than remarkable value at just $13.99!
Tasting notes - The nose is filled with perfumed red fruits, salted plums and mulberries, incense, rose petal and oolong tea. In the mouth the fruit continues with plums, cherries and strawberries balanced by black tea, English tobacco, forward acidity and moderate tannins-- the balance is perfect; a classicist's dream wine. Red berry fruits and forest floor revel in the lengthy finish. Drinks more like a $30+ wine.
“Consumer alert - these are dazzling bargains!” – Robert M. Parker, Jr.
In Puglia, one of Italy’s largest bulk wine growing regions, Taurino stands head and shoulders above the rest as a beacon of estate-bottled quality. The estate’s respect for terroir and native varieties is truly inspiring, and their impact on the vinous history of Puglia is undoubtable. Their wines are the benchmarks to which the other wines of the region are compared, both in quality and in value.
The Taurino family has been growing grapes and making wine in Puglia for seven generations, but it was Francesco Taurino who started the family business after World War II to supply Italy and Europe with authentic Apulian wines. Their mission was simple, but not so easy: to protect the legacy of the estate by continuing the traditions that had made them so famous. Today they have eighty hectares of vineyards planted almost exclusively to Negroamaro and Malvasia, expressing the terroir of Salento through the lens of their native varieties, showcasing earthy, spicy, and fruity notes and an authentic and down-to-earth winemaking style.
From 15 to 20-year-old vines planted at 100 meters above sea level, the 2011 Salice Salentino comes from vineyards located in the area of Guagnano, which is cooled by the winds coming from both the Ionian and the Adriatic seas, lending a saline character to the wines. Sustainably-farmed Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera are picked together, after which the final blend is determined not in the cellar, but by the overall percentages of plantings on the property (80-90% Negroamaro, 10-20% Malvasia Nera). They are de-stemmed, crushed, and transferred to stainless steel vats, after which alcoholic fermentation and maceration lasts for fifteen days, followed by racking and natural malolactic fermentation. The wine then ages in medium-toast French oak barrels (2+ years old) for sixteen months before bottling. The result is an delicious, spicy, and tobacco-scented wine of great classicism and character, and a more than remarkable value at just $13.99!
Tasting notes - The nose is filled with perfumed red fruits, salted plums and mulberries, incense, rose petal and oolong tea. In the mouth the fruit continues with plums, cherries and strawberries balanced by black tea, English tobacco, forward acidity and moderate tannins-- the balance is perfect; a classicist's dream wine. Red berry fruits and forest floor revel in the lengthy finish. Drinks more like a $30+ wine.
