Puglia's wine scene continues to grow, both in terms of quality and awareness of this growth and the ways to achieve it. Just look at the number of wines awarded with Tre Bicchieri 2024 with a designation of origin (19) compared to just five years ago (10) to understand how the identity and typicality of the territory are now increasingly important factors for the people of Puglia. Just a few years ago, regional production was fundamentally linked to the grape variety rather than the territory.
All this without considering some special cases, like Gianfranco Fino's Es, which has not had a designation of origin for some years but certainly cannot be reduced to a "simple" Primitivo, as it shouts Manduria with every sip. The Tre Bicchieri this year are also 26, and they seem to represent with great satisfaction the panorama of high quality in the region.
Tre Bicchieri 2024: the best rosé wines of Puglia
Here, we focus on the four Puglian rosé wines that have received Tre Bicchieri 2024 or have come close to the podium with Due Bicchieri Rossi in the Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia guide. The protagonists are the Negroamaro and Primitivo grape varieties, but also Pinot Nero in a Metodo Classico.
Five Roses 79th Anniversary 2022 by Leone de Castris. Grape Varieties: 80% Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. Aromas of yellow peach, sweet citrus, and jasmine on the nose. The palate is savory, beautifully fresh, with a tense, juicy, and captivating finish, without excessive sweetness. Leone de Castris, a historic figure in Salento's winemaking, has various estates ranging from Salento to Murge, with a significant presence of Puglian bush-trained vines and a variety of both indigenous and international grape varieties. Their Salice Salentino wines in various styles stand out for their typicality and aromatic intensity.
Kreos 2022 by Castello Monaci. Grape Variety: Negroamaro Rosato. Aromas of yellow peach and black cherry with a juicy palate and a dry and pleasant finish. The Memmo family has managed Castello Monaci for four generations, with three estates: Masseria Flaminio in Brindisi, mainly cultivating white grapes on sandy soils near the sea; Masseria Vittorio in Trepuzzi, focusing on Primitivo on ferrous red soil; and a Salice Salentino estate with clayey and tuffaceous soil, cultivating Primitivo, Malvasia Nera, and Negroamaro. Their wines are modern, emphasizing pleasantness and fruit richness.
Primitivo Rosato EstRosa 2022 by Pietraventosa. Delightful and among the best wines in the region, not only among rosés but overall. Fresh, fragrant, balanced with floral notes, red berries, and Mediterranean scrub, featuring a juicy, long, and highly pleasant finish. Marianna Annio and Raffaele Leo's winery in Gioia del Colle has become one of the most interesting realities in the area. Their vineyards, located around 380 meters above sea level in a ventilated area, are on calcareous and clayey soils rich in skeleton and minerals. With a modern approach, they craft wines to express the territory's characteristics and captivating expressiveness.
Metodo Classico Brut Ancestrale Rosé 2018 by Tenute Chiaromonte. Fresh and lively, highlighting tones of red fruits, orange zest, and bread crust. Nicola Chiaromonte and Paolo Montanaro's Tenute Chiaromonte has vineyards situated over 300 meters above sea level on the karstic soils rich in minerals of Murge. With over ten hectares of Primitivo bush-trained vines over 60 years old, alongside Moscato, Fiano, Chardonnay, and Pinot Nero, they offer wines of extraordinary character and charm.
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