~ PUGLIA ~

Le Braci—AZIENDA MONACI

 

AZIENDA MONACI IS the fruit of two fathers: the first is the owner of the winery, Severino Garofano, and the second is Salento, home to this splendid estate. Born in San Potito Ultra, in the province of Avellino, Severino is also one of the main players in the rebirth of southern Italian winemaking. Thanks to his brilliance, at least two wine areas truly emerged on the wine scene during the 1990s: Cirò, with Severino’s Gravello di Librandi and Duca San Felice, and Salento, with his Patriglione, Notarpanaro, and Graticciaia. Severino can be considered a genius, not so much for having produced excellent wines, but for having made them in areas that not long ago were considered incapable of producing quality.

At the beginning of Severino’s career, improving the quality of the wine in this region was a fairly difficult mission because wine was still considered to be a drink of the osterie and cantine, where it was poured in smoke-filled rooms. Wine was sold unbottled, in bulk, valued for its alcoholic content. This was a time when grapes traveled across Italy in baskets, and wine was produced in large factories built by northern Italian entrepreneurs. The wine was loaded on cargo trains and sent up north along the railroads departing from Capo di Leuca and San Severo. This was the wine route of the time. People talked very little about the bottlers of the south, and even less about their winemaking skill. Wine from Puglia only began to be recognized in the 1980s, thanks in part to the many enological consultants who started to take trips down south. Local entrepreneurial winemakers also had the farsightedness to impose rigid rules for growing and vinifying their grapes, creating quality and thereby attracting the attention of the wine market for the first time. The international press and curious wine lovers recognized the potential of Pugliese wines.

After having worked as a consultant for a lifetime and after having produced great wines, Severino Garofano decided at age seventy, to go off on his own. He founded Azienda Monaci in 1995, after having read what the Baroness de Rothschild had written about wine: “Making great wine is easy. It’s just the first several hundred years that can be difficult.” Severino realized that he wanted to create something of his own that would last beyond his lifetime. Convinced that Puglia had an enormous amount of untapped potential, he decided to focus on the most important indigenous grape of the region: negroamaro.

In Puglia, there is a vineyard that begins in Gargano al Capo di Leuca and stretches for 190 miles. It is planted with vines trained using the old alberello system. Because the vineyard is located between two seas, its climate is defined by ocean winds that create many microclimates within it. This holds true not only for Salento, but also for the part of the vineyard that runs along the Adriatic, backed by the Murge highlands. The grapes here have adapted to the natural ecosystem and are for the most part the product of the grape and wine trade. The vineyards of Puglia are planted with a number of varieties, many of which are new and difficult to identify. The various zones are increasing because of the market interest and the choices that winemakers have made to be able to offer wines of a certain price. The terroir is gaining fame, not only for its wine, but also for the beauty of the Salento countryside. The southernmost part, practically the heel of the Italian peninsula, is covered with splendid century-old olive trees and alberello (treelike) grape vines. There are also beautiful farmhouses with stark white walls, commonly called masserie. Puglia has become a major tourist destination and is being invaded by English and American investors.

With Le Braci, Severino Garofano has created his ultimate masterpiece. Made from negroamaro grapes, the wine expresses and embraces its southern origins. The grapes are grown at sea level. The vineyard practices are traditional, with the use of the alberello training system, requiring that many hours be dedicated to the care of each vine. In a region as hot as, and with such strong sunlight as, Salento, it is vital to use the alberello system; its fundamental function is to encourage the roots of the vines to stretch deep below the ground and maintain a consistent level of humidity. The grapes are harvested at the end of October, when they are intentionally overripe. The dried grapes ferment for several days in steel and then make a second pass in barriques, where they remain for about ten days.

Le Braci has great elegance on the nose, with clear scents of prune marmalade and black cherries. There are also nuances of rhubarb and aromatic herbs like rosemary. In the finish, there is the essence of vanilla and chocolate. On the palate, the tannins are mature and smooth, with a long fruity finish.