L’Archetipo Aglianico Puglia 2021

Azienda L'Archetipo farms in Puglia in southern Italy, working biodynamically and bottling naturally with minimal cellar intervention. This wine is made from Aglianico, a thick-skinned southern grape known for deep colour, firm tannin and high acidity. The warm Apulian climate ripens the fruit fully, while the late-ripening nature of Aglianico keeps acidity in balance, giving a wine that is both ripe and structured. It is aged for eighteen months in oak barrels. The extended skin contact during fermentation draws out the phenolics that give the wine its grip and dark colour, and the long time in cask rounds the tannins through slow oxygen exchange while adding savoury spice. As a natural wine made without added cultured yeasts or fining, it carries a textured, unfiltered character true to the fruit. The colour is deep ruby moving to garnet. The nose shows dark plum and cherry, black pepper, leather and dried earth, with liquorice and tobacco behind. The palate is full bodied and firm, the tannins substantial and the acidity bright through a long savoury finish. Serve at 17 degrees, decanting an hour ahead. It is built for red meat and hard cheese.