Feudo Monaci Primitivo
Feudo Monaci’s environmentally oriented winemaking project provides a range of wines that combine the winemaking excellence of the Salento peninsula with outstanding sustainability.
Close to Lecce, in the heart of Salento, Trepuzzi is the chosen region for Primitivo; specifically, 10ha of red earth rich in iron. The vineyards, 30 metres above sea level and composed of deep, dry, clayey soils with some tufa limestone, are cultivated in dry conditions with a naturally very low yield. Combined with the artisan method of work, the resulting grapes are characterised by an elegance and a singular structure.
Average yield from Puglia bush-trained and spurred cordon vines is 8,000kg per hectare. The bunches are handpicked early in the morning, taken to the cellar and immediately crushed. Vinification is carried out at controlled temperatures with 10 days of maceration and frequent pump-overs. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged in steel until the following June.
Bright red colour; pronounced scent of ripe grapes; full, velvety flavour with great backbone.
Recommended cellaring – 4 years
Food pairing: Rich pasta and rice dishes, roast or braised red meats, game, very mature cheeses.
About the Producer
Castello Monaci
Castello Monaci winery is a splendid 210ha estate in Salice Salentino. The property has been family-run for four generations, currently it is managed by Lina Memmo. The estate lies between the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto; exposed to the influence of both the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic.
The castle is an imposing fortification that dates back to a settlement of ancient French monks from the first half of the 16th century. Alongside is an important museum, dating from the 1930s, highlighting the history of local winemaking.
Built in the 1970s Monaci’s barrel-shaped cellar, was dug into the white tuffaceous rock which the deepest layer of the soil of the surrounding vineyards. It now houses over 1000 barriques.
The winery is equipped with modern winemaking facilities, including a refrigerated pressing system with small capacity steel tanks, thermo-conditioned with a double cell, to be able to separately vinify limited quantities of grapes, highlighting the specific character of each parcel.
Leonardo Sergio has been the oenologist and production manager since 2001. Born in 1962, he graduated Agricultural Expert in 1981 and obtained the title of Oenologist in 1984 at the Basile Caramia Di Locorotondo Oenological Institute. For thirteen years he has been a wine consultant for 12 wineries in Puglia and 3 in Calabria, dealing with the management of the entire supply chain: from running the vineyards to bottling.
Castello Monaci believes in an even broader concept of sustainability, which takes into account the correct management of production, to minimize the carbon footprint and the impact of its winemaking. To produce its wines, Castello Monaci adopts important environmental and sustainable methods:
- Uses only clean electricity, from its own solar panals or other renewable sources.
- Preserves and maintains green areas, which help fixe carbon dioxide and reduce CO2 emissions.
- Monitors and controls water efficiency to reduce consumption in the cellar and in the vineyard.
- Manages waste through specific recycling processes and optimise the disposal and recovery of materials.
- Supports biodiversity; allocating 2ha of land to disposable crops (sunflowers) to benefit wildlife.
- The harvest is carried out at night, to take advantage of the temperature range for cooling the grapes.
- The barrel cellar is dug into the tuff, a natural thermal insulator that protects the wine during the aging phase.
- Finally, it contributes to the well-being of the community and its social fabric by employing local people. Roles are often handed down in families; e.g. the three generations of agronomists who have worked in the company.
