Aiace Salice Salentino Riserva DOC 2015
Castello Monaci
An Homeric figure, Ajax Telamon, son of Telamon, is the “Great Ajax”. King of Salamis, he took part in the Trojan War, frequently distinguishing himself amongst the Greek heroes for his strength and outstanding bravery.
Terroir: Aiace is sourced from select parcels of old vine Negroamaro and Malvasia surrounding the winery. Vines average between 40-60+ years old. The Negroamaro vines are trained in the traditional alberello (bush) method to protect the grapes from the harsh sunlight. Soils are made up of deep limestone, sand and clay.
Vinification: Harvest occurs as the grapes reach perfect maturity typically during the last week of September. Following a strict sorting, the grapes are lightly crushed and loaded into stainless steel tanks where they will macerate at low temperatures for a period of two weeks. Following malolactic fermentation and blending the young wines are aged for 12 months in a combination of 1 year old and older French oak. A final blending occurs followed by an additional six months of maturation in large neutral barrels, six more months in stainless steel and finally six months in bottle before release.
Additional Information
The 2015 Aiace has a deep ruby color with an intense nose of full, jammy fruit. The wine is lively on the palate dominated by flavors of raspberry, blackberry and spice.
Technical Details
- Appellation: Puglia
- Sustainability: Certified Sustainable, DNV-GL
- Soil: Clay, Limestone
- Alcohol: 14%
- Ttl Acidity: 3.65 g/l
- Residual Sugar: 4 g/l
- Avg Production: 5,000 bottles
- Sizes Available: 750ml
- Pack Size: 6/750ml
- Varietals: 80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasia Nera di Lecce
Recent Press
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Score: 87 Points
Wine Enthusiast
Author: Alexander Peartree
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2020"Prunes and cherries show a slightly stewed quality on the nose alongside olive tapenade and crushed herbs. Zesty acidity drives the palate, with flavors of sauced red fruit showing some lift thanks to a zip of crushed granite. The tannins are fine but crunchy, and this ends a bit hot."
