With intense, complex aromas of wild cherry conserve, dried plums, chocolate and vanilla, the wine shows powerful, ripe dark fruit and spices on the palate, with a pleasant finish. The wine is a great match with spicy foods like Fra Diavolo sauce.

Wine maker notes

Liante (“Wind of the Levant”) is the icy windof winter and the hot one of summer, which gusts fiercely through most of the Adriatic, particularly Puglia. The liante is a symbol for a land that breathes. Vineyard trellising at Monaci is a combination of Alberello Pugliese and spurred cordon systems on deep and dry, limestone, clay and siliceous soils. Resembling a small tree, the Alberello is optimal for achieving vine maturity while shielding the grapes from excessive sun. The spurred cordon insures small yields to maximize concentration and flavor of the grapes. The average yield is a low 4.4 tons per hectare, around the 2 tons per acre that is typically farmed to produce high quality wines. The grapes are hand harvested at dawn and fermented separately because they ripen at various intervals. In early September, Negroamaro ripens first, while the Malvasia Nera takes another two weeks. There’s a controlled-temperature fermentation in stainless steel tank, with 10-12 days maceration and daily pumping over. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine is blended and approximately half is aged in French barriques and the rest is aged in steel.