^TM

Tormaresca- Italy's way down south wine

By Darryl Beeson

Tormaresca is named after the sea-facing towers built as lookout posts during Italy's feudal history. Piero Antinori, president of Marchesi Antinori, founded Tormaresca when he purchased the extensive property and vineyards. 26 generations of the Antinori family have produced excellent wine. 620 years allows for plenty of practice.

Apuglia is enjoying a mini boom at the moment, with pioneers, led by Antinori, fashioning superbly drinkable wines from local varieties such as Primitivo (a relative of California's Zinfandel) and Negroamaro (capable of wonderful chocolate and spice wines) and Aglianico (big, spicy reds). The ubiquitous Chardonnay also shines here. Maìme will soon be recognised as the finest wine to come out of the southern half.

Apulia produces 17% of Italy's wine, enough to make it the world's sixth-largest winemaking region. Yet until recently, much of Apulia's red wine was used to bulk up wines from Tuscany, Piedmont, and even France during a poor harvest. Whites were sent to Turin to be distilled into vermouth. Today, Apulian estates are distinguishing themselves, profiting from unique varietals, old vines, cheap land, and an influx of winemakers.

Tormaresca Chardonnay, Apulia 2004
Price $10
Rating 91
The nose is complex with menthol and mint, then butter hints and tree fruit like pear and crisp apple. This refreshing white wine invites various food combinations. Consider grilled seafood, pasta with scallops in arich cream sauce, or with freshly grilled vegetables. Also consider Gargonzola stuffed chicken breast, served with tabouleh. Include a cream sauce with mushrooms.

Tormaresca Rosso Negroamaro-Cabernet Sauvignion, Apulia 2003
Price $10
Rating 91
The nose is earthy with tree bark and fresh herbs. The sip is bitter with complex layers of fruit. The balance of the two is most pleasing. Dark fruit and mineral appear in the good finish. There is added a relatively small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) to the Negroamaro for the basic everyday wine of the house, with attractive berry fruit, zesty Mediterranean herbs, and anise  in the aromas along with interesting flavors
throughout the good length. The fruit is very present.

Serve this rustic red with pasta, especially tortellini. Include mushrooms, either in the sauce, or with the pasta's stuffing.

Tormaresca Torcicoda Primitivo, Apulia 2003
Price $21
Rating 94
The aromas are a wide spectrum of red fruiy and exotic spice. The sip is chewy raspberry jam and complex mineral. There are bright flavors of cherry and earthy compost. The tannins are balanced, and the fruit elements are present.

Big, blackberry fruits join with hints of licorice and cedar, followed by an enduring, velvety finish. As with so many Italian reds, it shows a slight edge of tannin and acidity, but they are well-integrated and help the wine match beautifully with rich winter fare.

Tormaresca Bocca di Lupo Aglianico, Apulia 2002
Price $28
Rating 93
The nose is earthy and complex. The fruits are well evolved and complex, as well. The sip reveals well balanced tannins and ripe, earthy fruit. The exact blend is 90% Aglianico and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Bocca di Lupo is a wine which demonstrates that the Aglianico grown in the northwestern part of Puglia, just a short distance from the Basilicata, can be world-class.

Serve this mineral driven red with seared veal steak, wrapped in spinach leaf, or with roasted chicken in fresh herbs. Also consider lusty sausage with hard Italian cheese.

Tormaresca Maime Negromaro, Apulia 2002
Price $28
Rating 94
The nose is earthy with spice. Spiciness is typical of the grape. The sip expands with prune and black fruit. The long finish ends with menthol and mineral.

Serve this robust red with thick beef steak, roasted vegetables and hearty risotto. Serve, also, with beef sausage and hard Italian cheese. Also consider wild game in a tomato sauce poured over al dente pasta.

---

Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine finds. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., "Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it."

Back to TravelLady Magazine