This wine has a distinct ruby red color with notes of garnet around the edge. The nose is of ripe black fruits and is quite layered and complex. On the palate, the wine is intense with a smoky character and a long warm finish.

North-west of Salentine Peninsula, zone of old wine growing and wine producing traditions, lies Salice Salentino, a small rural town which boasts the more than three century old winery Leone de Castris. The Leone de Castris winery has been making wine since 1665 and is perhaps the most regal of Apulia`s wine makers. Their wines are among the best in Italy and their Salice Salentino is no exception. This red wine is made form two local grape varieties, Negroamaro and Black Malvasia. It is made using traditional methods and aged in large wooden casks and bottle before its release.

Technical notes

Region: Apulia, Italy Grapes: 90% Negromaro, 10% Black Malvasia Soil: Medium mixture, clay Production: 500,000 bottles Vine Training: Hand cultivated Vinification: Long maceration at controlled temperature Average age of vines: 35 years Aging process: One year in oak barrels