In the ‘heel of Italy’s boot’, in the Salento region of Puglia, lies Masseria Borgo dei Trulli. The winery takes its name from the plural of ‘Trullo’, traditional Puglian dry stone huts that were mainly used as field shelters or storehouses by Saracen populations hundreds of years ago. Remains of these ancient shelters are still present today.
Borgo dei Trulli covers a total of 45ha of land, including 25ha of vineyards. Home to dark, thickskinned black grape varieties, the focus here is on indigenous grapes and interesting production methods. There are 20ha of Primitivo, including a 10ha ‘Saracena’ vineyard, which is trained in the old Alberello system (free-growing bush tree). This vineyard is over 55 years old and yields are limited to less than 1kg of grapes per vine.
The winery is in the Commune of Maruggio, in the subdivision of Roselle. It lies approximately 5 km from the Ionian Sea and in the heart of the Primitivo di Manduria DOP area.
In Puglia the Masseria was once the heart of vast land Estates, surrounded by rolling hills, vineyards and olive groves. Similar to a Spanish “hacienda”, they used to be self-sustaining and included several buildings for the housing of livestock and fodder, winemaking and oil pressing.
Also, in this particular area of Puglia, spread between vineyards and olive groves, you can find numerous ancient dry stone dwellings (huts) called Trulli (Italian plural for Trullo). The “Trulli” in this area are better known as Saracen Trulli, as they differ from the more traditional Trulli found in the Itria Valley (north of where the Masseria lies) as they have a domed rather than coned roof.
This is where Masseria Borgo dei Trulli gets its name.
The winery has been built in full respect of the land, its surroundings and its traditions, next to an old run down Masseria which has been rebuilt and incorporated into the winery itself. A beautiful contrast has been created by combining the main winery, built in a modern style and using the best materials available, and including the best winemaking equipment currently available on the market, to the classic and old Masseria, which has been re-built in the style typical of the area, including the gorgeous and local TUFO stone, arched doorways and vaulted ceilings.
HARVEST AND APPASSIMENTO:
The grapes are carefully picked by hand in early/mid September. In late August, when the grapes have reached perfect maturity, a special technique called “il giro del picciolo”(the twisting of the stem) is applied to approximately 50% of the grapes. This consists in twisting the stem of the grape bunches so that no further nourishment reaches the grapes, thus inducing a natural drying of the fruit on the vine. The grapes are left on the plant for approximately 12 days (along with the other grapes which benefit from the late harvesting) and lose approximately 25-30% of their weight in water, concentrating their flavours and aromas.
