Petrilli > Puglia

The Petrilli Estate is located in Northern Puglia, in the region of Daunia, near the town of Lucera. La Motticella or Motta della Regina is a centuries old settlement, reported on maps even before 1000 B.C. It was originally a stopover on the road between Lucera, in the inland area, and Lesina, outpost of Venice on the Adriatic sea. It later became a feud belonging to the Caropresa family, the Zunica, and the Serra di Cassano. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Paolo Petrilli, grandfather of the current Paolo Petrilli, bought it using his wife Teresa’s dowry, and it was united with the neighbouring family estates: Feudo, Bisciglieto, Sequestro and De Iulio.
Paolo and Paola Petrilli have lived there their whole lives and have gained an enormous reputation growing some of the finest organic pomodori (tomatoes) in all of Italy. Their entire property has been certified Organic by the ICEA since 2008. Their crop, from just 5 hectares of tomato plants, sells out every year and Paolo applies the same philosophy to his wines: better to limit production and make the best possible product. In 2002, the family released the first wines from their 11 hectares of vines. Paolo flatly states that his production will always be limited to whatever he is able to vinify from that 11 Ha. A quiet, funny, sophisticated farmer and academic (his beautiful home is overflowing with books on every conceivable subject), Paolo’s wines are so impossibly elegant, they almost dance on the palate.
Nero di Troia is the main variety, then Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Bombino and Verdellino. Not one single plant of an international variety. The vineyards are located on the estate hill, around the building, in an area of very stony soil; they have a southern exposure and are always covered with spontaneous vegetation. The vineyard density has five thousand plants per hectare, and the grape yield never exceeds 13,230 pounds. The grapes are hand harvested and the wine is aged in wooden vats.

Petrilli Website

Cacc’e Mmitte di Lucera - Motta del Lupo

60% Nero di Troia, with Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Bombino. Paolo Petrilli named his new wine “Wolf’s Hill” after a site next to his estate in northern Puglia. Paolo wanted to create a young sibling to his Agramante, a wine which celebrates the DOC but is more affordable and approachable. The grapes are picked mid-September for the Sangiovese and the Bombino, beginning of October for the Montepulciano, end of October for the Nero di Troia. They are crushed and destemmed, but leaving half the grapes whole. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, with pumping over and delestage. Bottled after 6 months. Elegant and fruit-filled, great to enjoy slightly chilled. 12% alcohol.

"Fortuita" - IGT Daunia

40% Sangiovese, 30% Aglianico, 20% Montepulciano, 10% Nero di Troia. The grapes are hand harvested: mid-September for the Sangiovese, early-October for the Montepulciano. Vinification: crushing and soft destemming leaving half of the grape intact. 9 days fermentation at controlled temperature with pumping over. The wine is aged in wooden vats and stainless steel tanks, and bottled unfiltered after a year. 14% alcohol.
The name refers to the fact that the 2005 vintage was a complete washout in northern Puglia, and the family felt “fortunate” to be able to craft such a good wine from such a poor vintage. The wine succeeded wildly in the Italian marketplace, and the decision was made to continue producing the wine in subsequent vintages.

"Agramante" - DOC Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera

Grapes grown organically from the winery’s estate vineyards.
60% Nero di Troia, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Bombino. Harvest mid-September for the Sangiovese, early-October for Montepulciano and Bombino, end-October for Nero di Troia. Whole-berry fermentation. Natural yeast fermentation in tronconic vats of French and Slovenian oak. Aged in stainless steel. Bottled after one year, unfiltered.
The oddly named DOC literally means “to take out, and put in", a reference to working hard in the fields where you take out your pay, and put in your time, take out the fruits of your labor after you put in the hard work. This is the only DOC wine produced by the winery. Agramante is a reference from literature, and is the name of the Saracen King of North Africa, who in Ludovico Ariosto’s Epic "Orlando Furioso", has invaded Europe to avenge his father’s death, thus finding himself at war with the Christian emperor Charlemagne.

"Il Guerro" - IGT Daunia

100% Nero di Troia, harvested at the end of October.
The grapes are gently crushed and de-stemmed. Indigenous fermentation in tronconic vats, French and Slovenian oak, completed malolactic.
Aged one year in un-toasted, new oak French barrels, then an additional year in stainless steel before bottling. Unfiltered. 14% alcohol.