I learned about Negroamaro while reading a book on Italian terroir & some of their classic grapes. I then got a chance to try various offerings at a tasting event. I loved it, it has bold flavours but nothing too concentrated. The body offers something a little different than some more popular choices from the boot. Notarpanaro is the first one I bought & is from a renown producer in the south of Italy, Cosimo Taurino.
“A wonderful introduction to Negroamaro…”
Notarpanaro 2010
Produced & bottled by: Cosimo Taurino
Type: Dry Red from Southern Italy
Region: IGP Salento, Puglia, Italy
Aging: 6-8 months in 2nd to 4th passage French oak barrels
ABV: 14.5%
Grapes: 100% Negroamaro
Appearance: 8/10
The wine comes with a cork, a great advantage since it can surely be kept for a few years in a cellar and you don’t want a screw cap to mingle with the oxygenation. The age, the producer & the location are all well indicated although a few facts on the product itself would’ve been appreciated. The wine offers some deep garnet colours with a nice clarity and when swirled around, multiple medium legs fall down at an average speed. Even if this wine is almost 10 years old, the visual is still strikingly young with only a faint copper tint crawling in the liquid.
Nose: 12/15
On the nose, plenty of raspberries dipped in dark chocolate served with balsamic & dried figs tapenade. A whisper of thyme escapes the glass along with a faint earthy quality. A lot of fruity esters mingle with a bit of ethanol creating a subtle impression of nail polish remover (in a good way). A nice complex nose but easily domesticated. Letting the wine about half an hour in a carafe allows it to open up, adding caramelized notes which really bring some depth to this Negroamaro.
Mouth: 14/15
The wine surrenders on the palate delivering tones of balsamic glazed black fruit such as plums, blackberries, figs, blueberries along with raspberries & dried cranberries. The barrel shows up with espresso, dark chocolate & faint baking spice flavours. The thyme evolves in a broader range lending more towards general vegetal notes. The first sip hits with an ample body, a near-perfect balance between an off-dry palate & a medium-high acidity, leaving an impression of 4-5 g/L of residual sugars. The alcohol is quite timid & the tannins are invading the mouth with a rough velvety feeling. The beverage really gives justice to the wonderful flavours of this peculiar grape & the mouthfeel is quite interesting even though the astringency can be a bit aggressive at some point.
Finish: 6/10
The finish is a bit disappointing with a short length & an astringent texture leaving nothing else on the palate. There are still mildly perceivable flavours such as faint chocolate covered blackberries lasting for a moment. I also get a surprising hickory note emerging awhile after my last sip blending well with the wine profile.
Overall: 80/100
A wonderful introduction to Negroamaro and Southern Italy as well. Not too complex yet representative of the terroir & the grape. A must for anyone who wants to discover more about it. I’m not an expert on wine cellaring but I’m fairly positive you could keep this vintage for 2-3 years before it starts to fall apart given that 2010 was a remarkable year for most of Italian regions.
3 word description:
Black fruits, Astringent & Oak.
The Reference
More Information @taurinovini.com
コメント