Tenute Rubino, Brindisi 2021 'Oltremé'

One of our wines of the year (2025) and a completely new discovery for us. Susumaniello means 'Little Donkey' so this is an appropriate wine for Christmas, perhaps. Actually all year round. It's a beguiling wine with red berries and spices make it distinctive. It's fairly soft and has a pleasant, slightly sour edge to the fruit which is what makes wines like this so good with Italian food, especially those with tomatoes (pasta sauces, for example). Warm mouthfeel and soft tannins with decent acidity. A wine to enjoy without over-thinking it.

Drinking Dates: 2025 to 2030+

Cépagement: 100% Susumaniello

Soil: Sandy and clay

Upbringing: Manual harvest during the last week of September. Fermentation between 22-24°C in steel tanks. 10 days maceration at controlled temperature. Aged 10 months in steel tanks; 2 months in bottle.

ABV: 13.5%

Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso)