On my latest trip to Italy in early June, I have been on a press trip near the town of Bari for the 17th edition of Radici del Sud where I was with a team of international journalists in one of Italy’s most important wine regions, Puglia. Everyone thinks of Primitivo when you hear this place, but little is known about a hidden gem here, called Verdeca. Today let me talk about Verdeca and get you discovered by one of the most experienced winemakers from this part of the region, Giovanni Aiello, and I will explain why his approach is different then everyone else’s of this variety.
Verdeca
It is a white Italian wine grape variety that is primarily grown in Puglia (or Apulia) in southern Italy where it is believed that the grape may have originated. Although there is evidence suggesting that like many Italian grape, it may have come from further east in the Mediterranean, either from Croatia or Greece. In fact, Plavina (a widely planted variety in Croatia) is a crossing between Verdeca and Tribidrag (the Croatian name for Primitivo), but at the meantime, we must consider that respected ampelographer, José Vouillamoz confirmed, it is the same variety as the Greek grape Lagorthi. Now, this makes it difficult to decide, which one is the real place of origin.
It is one of the main grapes in the wines of Locorotondo DOC and Martina Franca DOC along with Bianco d’Alessano in the Salento peninsula. In Campania, it is grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius where it is used as a blending variety with Falanghina, Coda di Volpe and Greco in both the white wines and the sweet dessert wine of the region, Lacryma Christi. It is also a minor component used in some vermouth production (which declined to almost nothing in the 20th century). Puglia now accounts for around 97 percent of a total of 800 hectares (1,975 acres).
Verdeca is an early to mid-ripening variety with good resistance to frost, powdery and downy mildews. Its wines can range from quite neutral and herbal, though to more aromatic (stone fruits) and mineral wines with mixed citrus flavours. Usually gives a light to medium-bodied structure with good acidity which qualities makes it perfect to experiment and discover new techniques during its wine making process.
Giovanni Aiello
Giovanni Aiello is a true Puglian citizen, he was born and raised amongst the extremely rocky vineyards of the Karstic countryside between Valle d’Itria, the caves and the sea. From a young age, he knew he had to go further to learn more about traditional and new wine making methods. This instinct led him to study and make wine in Veneto, Friuli, California and Australia. Everywhere he went, he carried his roots with him to produce the most authentic expression of a land. This is what he always believed in.
After this extended trip, experience and knowledge, he has decided to return home and continue to make wines that he believes in his hometown, a particularly rocky and fertile area that crosses Putignano, Castellana and Fasano in the heart of Puglia. He has designed the “Chakra” lines, with its hand-painted labels, refers to the essentiality of the Apulian landscapes, made of living stone and colourful fields.
There are a total of five Chakra Lines, each made from a different grape variety from Primitivo to Verdeca through Maruggio and Marchione. All of them accompanied by a different hand-painted label, unique to its characteristics.
“Chakra is an energetic journey, a journey to be undertaken slowly, to the discovery of particularly intense and refined aromas that taste like Puglia.” Giovanni Aiello
Chakra Essenza
Today I would like to highlight the “Chakra Essenza” line, made up with a 100% Verdeca in the bottle. The grapes for this wine come from a 130 years old single-vineyard (only 1 hectare) that is cultivated between the Canale di Pirro and the Valle d’Itria, by Tonetta and Toniuccio, a married couple in their nineties. Hence a small, artisanal production of only a 3000-3500 bottles per year which runs under the appellation IGT Valle d’Itria Verdeca.
A part of the grapes is harvested a few days in advance to keep the acidity and then fermented using autochthonous yeasts. The remaining part of the grapes is crushed and destemmed, then softly pressed, whereas the must is fermented in steel tanks at controlled temperature. One third of the mass is vinified with maceration of skins. At the end of the fermentation, after the first racking, the wine remains on its fine lees for one year. Continuous batonnage is in order to enhance the flavour and aroma characteristics and complexity.
The experiment
And this is where the experimentation comes in the picture for Giovanni. We have tasted vertically the line from 2017 to 2021 with various times of the maceration on the skins. The oldest vintage (2017) for us was only macerated 35 days on its skin while the youngest (2021) was already an extended 150 days in contact. We could see so many differences on these wines hence the different method of making through the vintages and ageing of each wine. I can summarize as those wines were in high quality, with lots of toasty, pastry and stone fruit notes with flinty minerality from the rocky soils. Well-balanced wines with a long finish.
My personal favourite was the 2020 vintage that showed the greatest balance between the fruity and battonage notes for me with a medium body, good medium plus acidity and a lovely lingering finish.
Conclusion
We have obviously had the chance to try his Primitivo selection as well but I leave to your imagination and initiative to discover that Chakra line, I have found these Verdecas a little bit more interesting to write about. All in all, I can say, I find Verdeca a lovely variety that is capable of producing high quality wines from the right hand and it is definitely worth to try the ones from Giovanni.
Although now, that I have learnt it is the same grape as the Greek Lagorthi, I am tempted to discover a producer from there too, who makes excellent examples. Do you have a recommendation for me?
Sources:
Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson
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