Menhir Salento Nº Zero Negroamaro 2019

With the Negroamaro grape variety – translation, “black bitter” – we are immediately transported to the Mediterranean warmth and black-fruited intensity of the red wines of Puglia in southern Italy. Soft, round, nice and easy drinking all the way with a kick of Italian-style savouriness thrown in. I’ve written Cherry Ripe twice in my tasting notes. That has to be a good sign, right? Sour cherry and bitter chocolate (Cherry Ripe), anise, rosemary, sage and earth scents are most inviting. Medium-bodied, plush and tasty in delicious black and red fruits with a chocolatey herbaceous quality. The grape’s high-ish tannins are nicely tamed allowing the fruit to perform front and centre.