SASSO AL VENTO | Cuvée Prestige | Puglia | 2019
primitivo | negroamaro

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Today we are are going to review an original wine blend from the Puglia wine region, that is located in the south of Italy (right there in the heel of the boot) – Cuvée Prestige Puglia 2019 by Sasso al Vento. This wine is a blend of two main puglian grape varieties: primitivo and negroamaro, where primitivo forms the wine’s main body and flavour profile, negroamaro adds structure and more black fruit flavors to the final blend. Primitivo (also known as zinfandel in the USA) has been thought to be native to Puglia, but it actually hails from Croatia (Dalmatia), where it is called tribidrag. As it turns out the names primitivo and tribidrag are both derived from words meaning ‘early‘ in latin and croatian respectively, which reflects the yearly-ripening characteristic the grape variety. Negroamaro (which translates as ‘black and bitter‘) is a widely planted grape variety in Italy’s deep south, especially in Puglia, where it can make seductively heady, age-worthy red wines. Some believe that «negro» (black) is a reference to its very dark colour while «amaro» (bitter) could refer to its strong tannins, or to the fact that in the past the negroamaro wine was left to ferment with the grape-skins for a long time, thus by the end of fermentation it was dark and very bitter. Both grape varieties put Puglia on the world’s wine map and it was only natural that some producers would try and blend them together to create a genuine, super-puglian blend. But enough with all that theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: deep ruby color
clarity: hazy ruby shades

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & savory-earthy
fruit profile: black fruits | blue fruits
__black fruits: dark cherry | blackberry
__blue fruits: blue plum | blueberry
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | herbal | spice | earthy | savory | other
__floral: violets | lavender
__herbal: mint | eucalyptus
__spice: anise | peppercorn
__earthy: mushroom | pencil lead | graphite
__savory: brown olive | capocollo | new leather
__other: hints of volatile acidity | varnish
primary layer: savory-earthy

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium+
tannin: high
__grip: fine-grained
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: plump | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: blue & black fruits
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: spice & earth
finish: medium
aftertaste: crisp & seedy

//Scoring
SASSO AL VENTO | Cuvée Prestige | Puglia | 2019
variety: primitivo | negroamaro
country: Italy
region: Puglia
rating: 92.3

//Conclusion
maturity: youthful | drink now or within the next 2-3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Italy and, with a total of 92.3 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a rich, ripe and quite youthful wine blend that is still in its early development stages and needs more time to develop before it will reach its peak form. We would recommend to give it at least 2 or 3 years of bottle ageing in order to allow it to develop further complexity and round up its rough edges. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of ripe blue and black fruits and some nuanced savory notes in the foreground, followed by a subtle earthy background and a spicy-oaky layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers overwhelming and slightly tart acidity, fine-grained tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a quite crisp and seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is a very expressive, fruit-forward and voluptuous wine blend, with a nuanced fruity-savory profile – a wine that in its current state lacks some harmony on the palate. We would recommend to pair it with meaty dishes that are rich in sweet accents, like for example sweet beef teriyaki or honey-glazed pork chops. Cheers!

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.