The recovery of an ancient forgotten Apulian vine, which after twenty years is today the basis of great wines for aging, as well as successful rosé and sparkling wines
A vine that has almost disappeared, but recovered thanks to the tenacity of a family of Apulian winemakers and destined to become famous as the best known Negroamaro or Primitivo. It is the story of Susumaniello, a vine widespread only in the Brindisi area, which finds its best expression in the lands overlooking the sea of Salento. Sandy soil, constant ventilation, brackish air: all perfect characteristics for wines that have a future, suitable for aging. The story of this "bailout", tells Luigi Rubino himself, owner of Tenute Rubino, a family business, which in his own territory was the leader in the recovery of this vine. "When they started making wine, at the beginning of the new millennium, there were about a dozen hectares throughout the province, today we are at 400".
The "donkey" of the vines
The name susumaniello is, in dialect, a transposition of the term "somarello". This black grape variety, in fact, has a tendency to be loaded with clusters like a donkey, due to its exceptional productivity. This characteristic made it little appreciated by those who wanted to make quality, while those who wanted to make quantity abandoned it when, after several years, the yield began to decrease. Rubino themselves, having discovered this vine in a land overlooking the Adriatic Sea, in the locality of Tenuta Jaddico, were about to eradicate it, when a flash of curiosity stopped them: «Let's try to make wine first, they said to themselves. And what they discovered is that it is precisely when the yield is lowered that the susumaniello gives its best, giving life to grapes with a characteristic bluish-black color, rich in all those substances at the base of wines with great potential.
The first bottles are now twenty years old
Suitable for the production of red wines for aging, but also rosé wines, in the best Apulian tradition, and even sparkling wines. The first vintage of Torre Testa, Tenute Rubino's 100% Susumaniello Doc red wine, dates back to 2001 and today the historical series of its best vintages is the subject of verticals much appreciated by experts. Over time, techniques have been refined, for example in the extraction of tannins, decreasing the temperature during processing and the contact with wood.
The combinations
Once aged, Susumaniello is a very complex wine, with marked tannins, which goes well with first and second courses of great structure: meat sauces, game and other types of meat cooked on the grill. Speaking of pure susumaniello, for more delicate dishes and above all to match seafood dishes, the solution is to opt rather for rosé; while for an Apulian-style appetizer, including frize, burrata and cheeses, it is better to uncork a bubble.
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