What are the best wines of Puglia? Discover our list with photos, descriptions and tastings of the best wines of Puglia recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
Also discover the rosé wines of Puglia in the article dedicated to the best Italian rosé wines.
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BEST 20 WINES OF PUGLIA – Recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
What are the best wines of Puglia?
So let’s see together a list of the 20 best wines of Puglia and discover their characteristics with our tasting so that everyone can find the best wines of Puglia suitable for their tastes.
To discover the excellences, discover our archive with dedicated articles on the best wine producers in Puglia.
‘Es 2021 – Gianfranco Fino
Description: Spreads intense blackberry jam, plum cardamom, Modica chocolate and wild fennel. In the mouth it is material, with impressive tannins in the making and a savory minerality of great presence that amplifies the sip. Perpetual and dense finish with references to fruity notes and aromatic herbs.
Obtained from sapling vines of about 60 years of age rooted on red earth. It ages for 9 months in small 228-litre oak barrels, 50% new, and at least 9 months in the bottle. Without clarifications or filtrations.
Considered one of the most iconic wines in Italy, Es by Gianfranco Fino is a Primitivo with a unique character, capable of combining complexity and power with elegance and drinkability like no other.
Grapes: Primitivo 100%
Alcohol content: 16%
Graticciaia 2017 – Agricole Vallone
Description:
The nose seduces with notes of small dark ripe fruits, dried violets, humus, wild fennel and black peppercorns. The sip flows broad and dense, enveloping the palate in a kaleidoscope of juicy and spicy sensations, supported by an important polyphenolic kit. Produced with dried grapes and aged in French oak barrels.
The grapes are harvested by hand in September, left to dry in Castel Serranova for a short time, then fermented and aged in steel for 2 years, followed by a year of aging in Allier and Nevers oak barrels.
Graticciaia di Vallone is a Negroamaro that masterfully combines the majesty of the terroir with a touch of elegance. Fully among the best wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Negroamaro
Alcohol content: 14.50%
Duna 2020 – Borgo dei Trulli
Description:
The aromatic range that outlines eucalyptus, licorice, wild fennel is surprising, followed by notes of cocoa powder.
Powerful and compact tannins of excellent maturity and finish with references to the fruit and balsamic notes.
Borgo dei Trulli’s Primitivo di Manduria Duna Mirante is produced from grapes harvested manually in Campomarino, with whole grape vinification in thermoregulated steel tanks for 8-10 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine ages in barrique for 12 months. Fermentation by indigenous yeasts only without the addition of sulphites.
A wine of great character and complexity that I bet on the authentic and uncompromising character of the Primitivo.
Alcohol content: 16%
Gioia del Colle Primitivo ’14’ 2020 – Polvanera
Description:
A riot of red fruits that blend into floral potpourri and essential oils. Lively acidity that highlights the dimension of freshness and drinkability, supported by well-integrated tannins and a smooth texture. Good persistence finish with echoes of fruity and spicy tones.
Made with hand-picked Primitivo grapes in the third week of September. After fermentation with maceration at 25°C for 2 weeks in stainless steel tanks, the wine ages for 24 months in steel and for a further 12 months in bottle before being sold.
The ‘Gioia del Colle Primitivo ’14’ by Polvanera’ stands out for its unique freshness and fragrance, highlighting the refined, floral and vertical character of the varietal. Without a doubt one of the wines of Puglia for value for money.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 14.50%
Marpione Primitivo Riserva 2019 – Tenute Viglione
Caratteristiche:
The broad aromatic spectrum of this wine is fascinating and penetrating, with a predominant note of ripe wild blackberry, alongside nuances that recall dried figs, toasted coffee, dark chocolate, the sweetness of carobs and a subtle touch of camphor.
The sip is enveloping, characterized by silky tannins which give the wine a dense and material structure. The finish is surprisingly balsamic, with remarkable precision and length.
Fully among the best interpretations of Primitivo.
Grape varieties: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 14.50%
l Falcone 2017 – Rivera
Description: ‘Il Falcone 2017’ by Rivera is a wine from Puglia that offers a complex bouquet with notes of red fruits, spices and dark cherry. The well-integrated tannins and lively acidity create a remarkable balance, while the long persistence reveals a distinctive character.
Produced with Nero di Troia grapes and native varieties, followed by aging in fine wood for 14 months and a further 12 months in the bottle.
IL Falcone celebrates the tradition and history of Puglia, using indigenous grapes and offering unique elegance and structure. Excellent value for money.
Grapes: Nero di Troia
Alcohol content: 13.50%
Per Lui 2017 – Leone de Castris
Description: ‘Per Lui 2017’ by Leone de Castris is a Salice Salentino Negroamaro Riserva DOC with aromas of black fruits, plums, tobacco and vanilla. Robust tannins, lively acidity and persistence of dark fruit make it fascinating.
This wine is obtained exclusively from Negroamaro grapes, fermented for about 20 days and aged in French oak barriques for at least 12 months.
‘Per Lui’ is an emotional tribute to a great man and an example of the Leone de Castris family’s commitment to the creation of high quality wines, with unique organoleptic power and complexity.
IL Falcone celebrates the tradition and history of Puglia, using indigenous grapes and offering unique elegance and structure. Excellent value for money.
Grapes: Negroamaro
Alcohol content:15%
Dionysos 2019 – De Quarto
Description:
A wine with eloquent and penetrating aromas: it is followed by notes of ripe berries, mulberry, followed by resinous balsamic notes. Harmonious palate with tannins of great finesse and good acidity.
The vineyards are made up of old vines grown in the typical Apulian Alberello style. The vinification is carried out by indigenous yeasts in steel.
One of the best interpretations of Primitivo: the nose is a delicate prelude that spreads sensationally balanced on the sip: powerful but silky tannins and penetrating olfactory intensity. Fully among the best wines of Puglia
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 14.50%
Le More’ Castel del Monte 2015 – Santa Lucia
Description:
Strokes of blackberries and black cherries mix with precious nuances of humus, licorice and cloves. The palate is dense and enveloping, with well-traced tannins and a balsamic finish of sensational precision and length.
One of the best interpretations of Castel del Monte wines, a vibrant wine that masterfully combines volume with elegance. Fully among the best red wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Nero di Troia
Alcohol content: 14%
Gioia del Colle Etichetta Bianca 2019 – Plantamura
Description:
Stratified nuances of red currants, morello cherries and blueberry jam blend with sweet spicy and balsamic notes. The tannin is thick but smooth, synergistically linked to the sweet and persistent fruity timbre.
A sumptuous Primitivo with sensational persistence. Undoubtedly among the best wines of Puglia for territorial identity and evolutionary potential.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 14.50%
Brut Nature di Marasco 2021 – L’ Archetipo
Description:
Clear hints of candied orange peel stand out, enriched by stamps of aromatic herbs and melted butter and bread-making notes. In the mouth it is broad, it is revealed on the palate with an iodized trail well balanced by a marked acid grip.
Soft pressing, natural fermentation with native yeasts and second fermentation in an autoclave for two months at low temperatures. Without filtrations. Obtained from organic farming.
A profoundly eloquent wine with multifaceted aromas and bubbles with a silky and refined texture: an expression of unusual finesse. Undoubtedly among the best Italian classic method sparkling wines.
Grapes: Marasco
Alcohol content: 12%
Le Braci 2016 – Severino Garofano
Description: Plum jam, juicy wild strawberries and sour cherries in alcohol gradually give way to a background of white chocolate, licorice and black pepper. On the palate it is dense, material, with a finish in which the fruit echoes as the protagonist.
Obtained from a light late harvest of part of the grapes that are harvested when the berries begin to wither, concentrating the sugars and dehydrating themselves from water. The wine ages in barrique for 10 months in barrique, then 18 months in bottle.
Quintessence of the Apulian territory, Negroamaro Le Braci is a dense and very juicy wine, concentrated and balsamic, with infinite evolution. Fully among the wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Negroamaro
Alcohol content: 15%
‘Ottagono’ 2014 – Torrevento
The nose outlines a kaleidoscope of fruity nuances ranging from mulberry, ripe cherry and wild fennel embellished with delicate sweet spices masterfully integrated with white chocolate, cloves and cardamom. On the palate it is voluminous, with great extract and body with smooth tannins which are counterbalanced by a good acidity that binds the sip creating harmony and cleanliness in the mouth.
Refines 8 months in cement and 12 in large oak barrels.
It is a wine of rare elegance among the Nero di Troia, distinguished by aromas of impeccable precision and sharpness and very soft tannins. Fully among the best wines of Puglia for value for money.
Grapes: Nero di Troia
Alcohol content: 13.50%
Kemelios 2015 – Vetrere
Description:
It opens incisively on notes of small dark ripe fruits, dried violets and licorice root, to continue towards reminiscences of resin, dehydrated figs. On the palate it is dense and sumptuous, with a well-defined tannin that denotes great evolutionary potential. Refines in new French oak barrels for 14 months.
A material wine with a sublime olfactory expressiveness. Fully among the best wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Negroamaro and Malvasia
Alcohol content: 14.50%
Gioia del Colle Primitivo Riserva – 2017 – Pietraventosa
Description:
Aromatic profile layered on notes of amene, blueberries and wild blackberries in jam, wild tones and cocoa beans. In the mouth it is very soft, supported by a sweet and sculptural tannin that draws the sip towards a finish of excellent persistence. Grapes harvested manually, controlled fermentation for 15 days. Aging in steel for 3 months and in French oak barriques for 18 months, followed by at least 12 months in the bottle.
One of the best wines of Puglia for its multifaceted and intense style: the delicate nose that spreads opulently on the sip.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 13.50%
Felice Ceci 2015 – Giancarlo Ceci
Description:
The nose outlines a multifaceted aromatic picture: mulberry, blackberries, eucalyptus and tobacco are highlighted. On the palate it reveals great balance: backbone acidity that gives freshness and well-defined tannins. Aged in French oak tonneaux for about 12-14 months.
An artisanal wine obtained from 100% pure Troy grapes of great sincerity that expresses the terroir without compromise. Among the best wines of Puglia for organoleptic balance and drinkability.
Grapes: Nero di Troia
Alcohol content: 13.50%
Acini Spargoli 2018 – Antico Palmento
On the nose there are notes of blackberry jam, undergrowth and juniper enriched by balsamic brushstrokes of licorice root and flint. The drink envelops the palate in a dense and pleasantly sumptuous sip, with a surprising saline trail on the finish that leaves the mouth fresh and satisfied.
The maceration of the skins takes place for 7-8 days in the traditional vitrified ‘fermentini’, with fermentation started by the indigenous yeasts and then completed with selected yeasts. After racking, the wine ages for 10 months in Allier barriques and ages in steel before evolving further in the bottle for 6 months.
One of the most successful interpretations of Primitivo di Manduria, which tells us the nature of its fruit with disarming sincerity. Example of how the high alcohol content can enter into synergy with the minerality giving a new and exciting sip. The Primitivo di Manduria Acini Spargoli of Antico Palmento is undoubtedly to be counted among the best wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 16%
Primitivo ‘Old Vines’ 2019 – Morella
Description:
It opens penetratingly on black currants, blood notes and light roasting notes. On the palate it is intense and enveloping, with a well-defined lively tannic texture and a very precise finish in which the fruit echoes as the protagonist. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maceration on the skins in small steel vats with frequent manual punching down, then soft pressing with a manual press.
Among the best wines of Puglia with an artisanal character that stands out for its aromatic finesse, power and persistence: It is an engaging wine, with an expansive and eloquent nose.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 15.50%
Primitivo di Manduria 2016 – Attanasio
Description:
The nose is broad and fruity, with decisive brushstrokes of jam, candied black cherry that fade towards toasted notes and medicinal herbs. On the palate it is powerful with vigorous tannins and good persistence.
A Primitivo with an authentic character, of great territorial expressiveness and with an excellent balance between flavor and voluminousness. Deservedly among the best wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 15.50%
Patriglione Negroamaro Salento 2016 – Cosimo Taurino
Description:
It opens incisively on notes of plum, blackberry in spirit, and dried violets to continue towards balsamic stamps of resin and licorice, ethereal nuances and undergrowth.
On the palate it is concentrated and enveloping, with compact tannins that evolve progressively towards a finish of extraordinary persistence.
A wine produced with overripe grapes that has marked the history of Negroamaro. Powerful and of unusual elegance and austerity, rightfully among the best wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Negroamaro
Alcohol content: 14.50%
Passo del Cardinale 2021 – Cantine Paolo Leo
Description:
Ripe cherry and blackcurrant stand out in the olfactory spectrum flanked by sweet nboisé notes, leather and medicinal herbs. Well outlined and mature tannins and sensational iodized sapidity that amplifies the sip. Aging 3 months in American oak barriques and 6 months in steel.
A captivating and successful interpretation of unusual elegance. The Passo of Cantine Paolo Leo is deservedly to be countedamong the best wines of Puglia for taste-olfactory eloquence. Excellent value for money.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 14%
Pezzo Morgana 2020 – Masseria Liveli
Description:
Brushstrokes of violets and wild blackberries mix with precious nuances of undergrowth, licorice and black pepper. The sip galvanizes the palate with a well-defined polyphenolic kit and a balsamic finish of great precision and length. Aging in barriques and French oak barrels.
Extraordinary expression of the territory, Masseria Liveli’s Pezzo Morgana is a sincere and refined wine, rightfully among the best red wines of Puglia.
Grapes: Negroamaro
Alcohol content: 15%
“Diciotto” Primitivo Salento 2020 – Schola Sarmenti
Description: Blackberry and cherry jam in alcohol with delicate notes of cocoa beans, locust beans and tobacco. On the palate it is soft and enveloping, with a well-defined tannin that envelops towards a real sip and a finish of imperishable persistence. Refines 14 months in new medium toasted French oak tonneaux; then, 12 months of further refinement in the bottle.
A wine of great power and length, a riot of fruit and spices. Undoubtedly among the best wines of Puglia for its expansive and voluminous character.
Grapes: Primitivo
Alcohol content: 18%
WINES FROM PUGLIA
Among the best wines of Puglia we can mention important denominations and wines such as Primitivo di Mandurica DOC, Salice Salentino DOC, Castel del Monte Riserva DOCG or the Rosati del Salento.
Let’s discover the main grapes from which the wines of Puglia wines and the terroir of Puglia are produced.
Primitive:
Primitivo, also known worldwide as Zinfandel, is certainly among the best wines of wines and represents 14% of regional production. It is a red wine produced from the homonymous vine which gives life to full-bodied and particularly fruity and spicy wines.
Of great interest among the wines are the Primitivo di Manduria DOC and the Primitivo Gioia del Colle DOC, two of the most suitable and representative areas for the Primitivo of Puglia.
Excellent Apulian rosé wines are also obtained from Primitivo, to find out more discover the article dedicated to the best Apulian rosé wines.
Negroamaro:
One of the best wines of Puglia is Negroamaro, produced from the homonymous vine. Negroamaro is a red wine produced especially in Salento, the southern sub-region of Puglia, where it makes up the Salice Salentino DOC wines.
From this wine are obtained full-bodied wines of great concentration and mineral sapidity, also characterized by seductive aromas of fruit jam and wild berries in alcohol.
Excellent Apulian rosé wines are also obtained from Negroamaro. For further information, discover the article dedicated to the best Italian rosé wines.
Other Autochthonous Grapes of Puglia
In addition to Primitivo and Negroamaro, there are many other native varieties, which testify to the rich biodiversity of Puglia.
Of great interest can be mentioned production areas such as the Murgie, where white grapes such as Verdeca coexist alongside the red vines. Minutolo and Moscato, or Foggiano and Daunia, in the Tavoliere, where Bombino Bianco is grown alongside Nero di Troia, finally in the Brindisi area we find the red grape variety Susumaniello.
WINES OF PUGLIA TERROIR
Puglia, the third largest Italian wine region, has a territory that is as suitable as it is heterogeneous. The different composition of the land, the mountain ranges and the sea breezes allow the production of a wide range of wines of great territorial character.
In the Capitanata area, the northernmost part bounded to the east by the Gargano promontory, where the vines are produced in calcareous-sandy soils, characterized by a continental climate with colder winters than in the rest of the region. In this area, which includes the Daunia mountains and the Tavoliere delle Puglie, excellent rosé and red wines are produced made from Nero di Troia, Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes, but also ready-to-drink whites from Falanghina, Trebbiano and Bombino Bianco grapes.
In the Murge plateau the soils become calcareous-clayey, rich in aquifers which guarantee a supply of water to the roots of the vine in the hottest months. Here, the discrete night-time temperature excursions ensure that the wines have an excellent structure and a surprising sapidity. The wines produced in the Murge are the Nero di Toia Castel del Monte Nero di Troia DOCG and the Primitivo Gioia del Colle DOC. An unmissable dessert wine is also produced in the Murge, Moscato di Trani DOC, produced with Moscato Bianco grapes.
Descending towards the Ionian coasts, the Mediterranean climate mitigated by sea breezes and the alluvial and calcareous-sandy soils ensure the grapes an excellent polyphenolic content and intense and complex aromas. It is here that the Primitivo, an early vine, gives its maximum potential for the production of one of the best Apulian red wines: the Primitivo di Manduria DOC.
Salento, the extreme tip of Puglia, is instead characterized by the typical Salento lands, sunny plains of calcareous-clayey red earth, suited to the production of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera grapes. In the provinces of Brindisi and Lecce, a particular and characteristic red wine is also produced: Salice Salentino Aleatico Dolce DOC.
BEST ROSE WINES OF PUGLIA
What are the best Apulian rosé wines? Apulian rosé wines are considered among the best in Italy for richness and eloquence of perfumes. The history of Italian rosé wine is relatively recent: thefirst Italian roséwas born during the Second World War, in Puglia.
We are talking about theFive Roses, from the Leone de Castris company, 90% of Negroamaro and 10% of Malvasia Nera. Still a real institution when it comes tothe best Apulian rosé wines.
To discover the best Apulian rosé wines, read the dedicated article.
Sweet wines of Puglia
Puglia has also given birth to some of thebest sweet wines in Italy, especially produced from Moscato grapes, as in the case of the renowned Moscato di Trani DOC, and from Primitivo grapes, as in the case of Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale DOCG.
To be taken into consideration among the best Apulian sweet wines are also the wines obtained from Aleatico grapes, a semi-aromatic black grape variety from which the Gioia Del Colle Aleatico DOC, Salice Salentino Aleatico DOC and Aleatico di Puglia DOC wines are obtained.
What are the best wines of Puglia?
What are the best wines of Puglia? Choosing is a difficult undertaking, which in any case is inevitably subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary.
We have simply compiled our own list of favorite interpretations according to our evaluations. However, it remains essential to underline that wine was not born as a status symbol, to be exhibited or flaunted coram populo.
But to get excited and be shared in a genuine way with the people we love, bonding to contingent situations and unrepeatable and intimate moments of our lives.
Therefore, we invite you to visit wineries and get to know the producers who produce wines in their uniqueness, so that you can independently discover and choose the wine that canbe counted among your personal favorite wines for you. If you have had the patience to read this far, I thank you for your attention, but now is the time to fill your glasses and cut off distant hopes, and therefore:
Cheers, Salute, Santé
Jean Marco Palmieri
