Passione Reale Appassimento Puglia

Passione Reale, the true, royal passion, is an appassimento, a wine made from grapes dried on the vine! This winemaking method is currently very popular, but it has its roots in an ancient Italian tradition! Originally, the grapes for Recioto della Valpolicella were dried in Veneto. Then came the dry version, Amarone della Valpolicella, followed by Sforzato di Valtellina in Lombardy, Governo and Vin Santo in Tuscany. Various Passito wines are produced in all sorts of regions – the finest coming from the island of Pantelleria – and, of course, in Apulia, where the grapes are either dried on racks or, as with Passione Reale from Torrevento, left on the vine. What makes it unique is its relatively low alcohol content of 13% ABV, hence its name, Passione Reale! It is aged for several months in stainless steel tanks and large wooden barrels. The nose is surprisingly fresh yet very intense, with spicy notes, delicate herbs, ripe black cherries, and berries. On the palate, velvety, round, soft, very intense but surprisingly not too heavy; finally, a representative of this trendy grape variety that doesn't stand out with its jammy and alcoholic heaviness, but rather tastes fruity, juicy, and full-bodied, and is a wine you'll happily drink again. Its main characteristics are herbs, elderberry, blackberries, and black cherries. Certainly, its mere 13% ABV is a rarity in this category!