Best wines of Puglia: Nero di Troia, in addition to Primitivo and Negromaro
2 June 2020
To call it the third native Puglian grape variety, after Primitivo and Negromaro, makes sense only if the classification is based on cultivated hectares, but the Nero di Troia has origins that are lost in legend and represents one of the most aristocratic wines of the Puglia region. A wine for connoisseurs, dedicated to aging thanks to its natural polyphenol content. A wine that looks you straight in the eye, unflinching, fearing no comparison, never sycophantic to please.
The Nero di Troia is the flagship of the Crifo wines from the Cantina di Ruvo di Puglia, and it couldn’t be otherwise as it is the quintessential native grape of its terroir: the winery boasts 8 labels from Nero di Troia.
Augustale Riserva DOCG in purity, Squarcione Appassimento IGP in purity, Terre del Crifo IGP in purity and in DOP blend, Grifone in purity IGP and in DOP blend, and two three-liter Bag in Tubes, “black” and “orange”, in purity IGP. All vinified in red, although the grape is suitable for producing excellent rosés and even white wines.
However, the Troia grape has not always been understood and appreciated for its potential as a great grape variety, despite its rich history that dates back to 1200 BC.
In the past, this grape variety was mainly cultivated using the bush training system, with very low yields per unit area; this aspect did not make it appealing for the wine production of the time, which was focused on quantity rather than quality.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that for a long time the Nero di Troia grapes were considered suitable for producing “cutting” wines rather than quality drinking wines.
Moreover, the characteristics of the grape, which ripens late and requires special attention due to the climatic conditions of late summer – early autumn, have not facilitated its comeback among the important wines of Puglia.
To a harsh grape, characteristic of central-northern Puglia, mainly found in the territories of the province of Andria – Barletta – Trani and in the Capitanata, is associated a soft, velvety wine, capable of long aging that gives it more complex notes of spices, tobacco, licorice, ripe red fruits, and jams, but equally ready to be consumed young with an easier floral and fruity bouquet.
After years of underestimation, the Troia grape has been experiencing its full potential over the last 50 years, partly characterized by merit battles to give it the rightful recognition. In 1970 it was recognized as a Black Wine Grape Variety but only in 2011 did it achieve the highest recognition: the DOCG in the CASTEL DEL MONTE NERO DI TROIA RISERVA denomination.
Today, with oenological research and experimentation, great typical wines are produced that are already qualitatively valid when young and inherently more structured for potential aging: this versatility has proven very important commercially to meet the taste of new consumers and position the grape among the most representative of Puglia.
For some time now, “Nero di Troia” has been present in varying percentages in the regulations of 6 DOCs: Castel del Monte, Rosso Barletta, Rosso Canosa, Rosso di Cerignola, Cacc’e mmitte di Lucera and Orta Nova, in the provinces of Bari, BAT, and Foggia.
In recent years, its grapes are increasingly vinified in purity due to growing consumer appreciation and a trend that rewards monovarietal wines from native grapes, also achieving great recognition and the attention of the international trade press.
