We tasted: Domodo Negroamaro 2017, Majestic, £9.99
Tasting Notes
Emma says: “Negroamaro is one of the lesser known reds of Italy. It comes from the Southern area of Apulia where it can get very hot so you have to expect a rich red, potentially with a bit of that raisin richness that comes from ultra ripeness. I’m not naturally a fan of big reds so I haven’t been expecting much this week. But I am hoping we get a real taste of these unique grapes that make Italy such an interesting country to explore for wine.
First the colour of my wine is ultra dark, almost opaque which often happens with warm climate reds because the anthocyanin that come from the skins accumulate a bit more with warm climate grapes. I can also see those strong tears that come onto the side of the glass, also a common feature with sugar ripe grapes made into wine.
The aroma matches my first impression, the fruit is rich and baked, lots of prunes, raisins and liquorice notes. To taste it is fleshy, with that ripe fruit profile, mixed with molasses and mediterranean herbs like oregano and tarragon. There is a fair bit of tannin giving it a grip that is typical of Italian reds, but it is also quite quaffable because the alcohol is surprisingly low at 12%.
I’m not quite sure how they managed that with all these ripe fruit flavours, I suspect some winemaker wizardry has gone on. I don’t think this is going to be the Negroamaro that converts me but it was certainly inoffensive and I’d be happy to serve it to friends at a party.“
Andy says: “Fairly lame post from me this week, as once again I had very little time to actually taste this wine.
I don’t get any of the flavours Emma mentions, but she is quite a bit posher than me so we’ll put it down to that. As she said, it is an inoffensive drinkable red, and something I’d expect to be given in an average Italian as a their house wine.
Hopefully I’ll get to taste it again and add some more to this.”
Buying Guide
Negroamaro is a black grape from the south of Italy, especially the region Puglia and Salento. We will be looking for a 100% grape blend from these areas. Some large supermarkets do stock this grape but you may need to look in specialist stores.
Wine -Vereto Salice Salentino 2015 Agricole Vallone (Majestic £12)
Bottle says – nothing
Deep red in colour, with a pleasing bouquet of red stone fruits (especially black cherry) and black pepper.
The taste is rather vibrant and slightly tannic, and also lighter and sweeter than the aroma would suggest. The taste was mainly of red cherries and ripe strawberries, and also seemed a little tart. This wine was reasonably pleasant, but it tasted like it was a little ‘closed’ and wasn’t giving you everything it had got to give; maybe ageing would improve it a little. I’m also guessing that this wine would taste better on a sunny day Italy than it would on a rainy day in England.
All in all, not bad, but not a wine I would rush back to.
This week I tried a Codici Negoramaro Puglia 2017 from Waitrose (£6.99, 13%). In appearance it was a very dark deep ruby. Obvious, long, gently forming tears appeared on the sides of the glass post-swirl.
The nose was smokey cherries, autumn leaves, brambles and other dark berries. I also got pomegranate molasses (get me!) and a hint of liquorice. It was a robust smell but it didn’t develop as much as I’d hoped after having some air, perhaps becoming a bit more raisin-ey.
The palate was dry and medium/strong in body. It had a very smooth velvety feel at first, but with lots of grippy tannin on the gums after a couple of seconds. The length was ok – aided by the tannic gum-hug and alcoholic warmth in the throat. It was rich, robust and difficult to pin-point the precise flavours. Dark, jammy berries with a bitter undertone of herbs and brambles.
Overall, it skewed towards the alcohol/tannin side of the balance, but I liked it. Just right for one of the first cold autumn evenings when you’re tempted to reach for the heating for the first time. It wasn’t a special bottle, but would go very well with pizza and red pasta sauces.