Read about the latest release Selvarossa dei Confratelli Riserva – the 2020 vintage – and all that’s been going on at the Cantine Due Palme cellar.

In the cellar, the team have just completed the final fermentations of the 2023 vintage. That was quite a tricky year for them, with an unusually high incidence of downy mildew in the vineyards thanks to wet, warm weather in May and June. Growers were on full alert! July followed, going to the other extreme of being very hot, so that sunburnt grapes were more of a worry. Finally, ideal conditions arrived in August and September to finish off the ripening of the grapes – warmth, sunshine and cool, drying winds to bring the grapes to perfect maturity.

President of the cellar, Melissa Maci, said, “this year has taught us that we must pay careful attention to canopy management in order to prevent sunburnt grapes.”

As well as focusing on wine quality, the team at Cantine Due Palme is always working hard to lessen their carbon footprint. Angelo’s grandson Marco gives us a run down below.

“We have big plans for sustainability. For a start, in 2024, we obtained the Qualitas certification for corporate ethics and sustainability – it’s been our aim for a number of years.”

“Our next goal is to make our energy management more efficient and sustainable through the installation of new solar panels and the revamping of existing ones. We are also focusing on the reuse of waste during production – like the pomace of grape skins and stalks, water recycling and in other areas too.”

“We are conducting field experiments as well, with both Negroamaro and Primitivo, growing them on different rootstocks, to evaluate which combination gives us greatest water efficiency and disease resistance.”

“Another area we are studying is how fermentations perform using native yeasts coming from our vineyards, rather than introducing a yeast to the fermentation, as we do now. We are also looking at new pre-fermentation maceration techniques to reduce the use of energy.”

These eco-initiatives are in addition to the many steps the cellar already has in place.

And now for the 2020 vintage that has just been or about to be delivered to you … what can you expect from this four-year-old Riserva?

2020 was certainly an easier vintage than the 2023 just passed, although lack of rain meant yields were 2% down on the previous year. The upside to that is always quality – you can expect even more concentration in the wine.

Low rainfall also meant that, unlike 2023, there was minimal risk of mildew in the vineyard. Sunburn is more of an issue nowadays in Salento, so judging how much canopy to leave is important.

The grape blend for Selvarossa 2020 is very similar ßto previous years – a selection of the growers’ finest Negroamaro (90%), with just 10% of Malvasia Nera, a variety that brings perfume, plus dark chocolaty notes of plum and blackberry.

On top of that there’s even more power and richness thanks to a third of the grapes being air dried on trays before fermentation. This causes the berries to lose moisture and shrivel, creating even greater intensity of flavour. It’s a method which originated in the north of Italy with Recioto di Amarone and translates to amazing richness in this wine from the south.

Post fermentation, the wine is pressed out and put into oak barrels for nine months’ ageing to lend the finishing touches, then finally bottled and left to rest there in the cellar for over two years, until the team judge it ready for release.

Deep ruby, it has an intense aroma of black fruits – plum, dark cherry – with hints of toasted vanilla, cedar spice and tobacco. It offers a big mouthful of blackberry, dark cherry and plum with chocolaty richness, toasted notes again and a touch of graphite. The flavours are long with layers of richness.

With all that intensity, Selvarossa needs rich food to match it – slow-roasted shoulder of lamb, venison casserole or a rich pasta dish. Open the bottle early and decant if you can, then serve in large-bowled glasses, so you can gently swirl the wine around.