Aiace Salice Salentino Riserva DOC

Aiace, one of the estate’s leading reds, is a Salice Salentino DOC Riserva. It is named after Aiace Telamonio, king of Salamina, who took part in the Trojan war and distinguished himself among the Greek heroes on many occasions with his strength and great courage.

PRODUCTION DISTRICT: Salice Salentino (Lecce).

ALTITUDE: 30 metres above sea level.

TYPE OF SOIL: Deep, dry clayey soil with limestone tuff. Average yield is 80 quintals per hectare.

TRAINING SYSTEM: Bush-trained, short-pruned, spurred cordon system.

HARVEST: The grapes are hand-picked in the early morning in mid to late September.

WINEMAKING METHOD: Crushing is followed by temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel vats, 14–16 days of maceration and scheduled pumping over.

AGEING NOTE: After malolactic fermentation, the wine ages in new and second-fill French oak barriques for 12 months, followed by ageing in large 57hl casks for another 12 months. The wine matures for a further 6 months in the bottles in an air-conditioned room.

SENSORY PROFILE: Deep ruby red colour, firmly structured, subtle and stylish with complex aromas, generous body and a warm, well-balanced flavour with a lingering finish.

RECOMMENDED CELLARING: 8 years in bottles laid down in a cool, dark place.

FOOD PAIRING: Perfect served with shin of pork. Highly recommended with roasted or stewed red meats, lamb, goat and mature cheeses.