Primitivo del Salento 'Piluna' Castello Monaci 2022

The prominent Apulian winery Castello Monaci presents the Salento Primitivo ‘Piluna’, a pure interpretation of Primitivo characterized by pronounced aromas of ripe fruit and sweet spices, the former typical of the grape variety while the latter derived from brief wood aging. The name ‘Pilùna’ recalls the ancient tuff containers in which wine and oil were stored. The tuff matrix is found both in the soils where the Primitivo plants grow and in the beautiful white structure used for vinification and aging of the wines, built in the 1970s by the Memmo family.

Castello di Monaci ‘Piluna’ Salento Primitivo is a 100% Primitivo cultivated within the Salice Salentino area, in the province of Lecce. Here, the plants are trained using the Apulian bush and guyot systems on deep clayey soils characterized by the presence of limestone tuff. The grapes are harvested by hand in the early morning hours and then destemmed in stainless steel tanks for alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperature, accompanied by 2 weeks of maceration on the skins. Once the malolactic fermentation process is also completed, the mass is matured for 6 months partly in French oak barriques and partly in stainless steel. This is followed by blending and final bottling.

Visually, the Salento Primitivo ‘Piluna’ from Castello Monaci winery expresses a dark ruby red color with purplish hues. Intense aromas of blackberries and raspberry jam, sour cherry, Mediterranean herbs, peppercorns, and vanilla emerge on the nose. The taste is soft and medium to full-bodied, with remarkable aromatic intensity supported by a velvety tannic structure. The finish recalls the sensations of ripe fruit and spices perceived on the nose.