Susumaniello 'Sciù' Castello Monaci 2021

The Susumaniello ‘Sciù’ from the Salento estate Castello Monaci is an intense yet balanced red wine that reflects the typical characteristics of Apulian wines. Susumaniello is a black grape variety native to the area of Salice Salentino, in the province of Lecce, which has recently been rediscovered and appreciated by wineries such as Castello Monaci. It seems that the name Susumaniello derives from "somarello," an endearing term for the donkey, an animal historically used for working the countryside. Instead, the appellation ‘Sciù’ originates from the word in the dialect of Lecce used to indicate the yoke of the plow.

The ‘Sciù’ Susumaniello from Castello Monaci is an expression of the homonymous black grape variety cultivated in the territory of Salice Salentino. Harvesting is usually done by machine during the second decade of September, particularly in the early morning to avoid working with overheated grapes. This is followed by destemming the grapes in stainless steel tanks where alcoholic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature with about 15 days of contact between the must and the skins. Subsequently, the mass is transferred to French oak barrels for 6 months of maturation before bottling and final commercialization.

The Castello Monaci ‘Sciù’ Susumaniello has an intense ruby red color. The olfactory range offers clear aromas of blackberry, ripe red fruits, and Mediterranean herbs that blend with balsamic notes and subtle hints of vanilla imparted by the oak aging. On the palate, it shows balance and good elegance, as well as a rather important structure, enhanced by pleasant freshness, assertive tannins, and excellent sapidity. The sip concludes with fruity and spicy sensations of excellent taste-olfactory correspondence.