Rich aromas of melon and apple meld with white blossoms on the nose. This is playful and fruity on the palate in juicy tones of apricot skins and pineapple, while a gentle grip of white tea and tangy acidity keep it all buttoned up.
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Puglia has a long agrarian history, thanks to its relatively high proportion of flat or rolling terrain suitable for growing crops. For many centuries, Puglia’s agriculture was dominated by extensive land grants from the ruling nobility. Known as latifundi, these holdings were the equivalent of plantations or haciendas in other countries, often controlled by absentee landowners and worked by local peasants and sharecroppers. Beginning in the 16th century in Puglia, many of these latifundi began to build structures known as masserie. The masseria was sort of a cross between a castle and a farmhouse and was designed to improve the life of the farmworkers. It was typically a large stone building located in or near the fields of the latifundo with room for the managers and many of the farmworkers to sleep and for storage of equipment and harvests. It was also intended to be strong enough to protect the inhabitants from raids by pirates, bandits, and marauding soldiers.
The latifundi began to be broken up during the period of Napoleonic rule in Italy at the end of the 1700s and early 1800s, and the essentially feudal system that they represented was outlawed in 1950. By that time, most of the masserias had fallen into disrepair. One such ruin was Masseria Li Veli, located near the center of the Salento Peninsula in southern Puglia, on the southern slopes of the Murgia plateau. Many masserias have been reconstructed as residences or agritourism accommodations beginning in the 1970s, but this particular one was rebuilt much earlier for a different purpose.
The crumbling Masseria Li Veli was acquired in the late 19th century by Marchese Antonio de Viti de Marco (1858–1943), an important economist and professor who was influential in the theory of public finance in the Kingdom of Italy. In 1895, the masseria was restored to serve as a model wine cellar, demonstrating an ambitious concept for economic development for all of southern Italy. It stayed in operation until the 1950s.
The masseria is once again functioning as an important winemaking facility, having been renovated and modernized into an up-to-date production center for the Li Veli wines. The Falvo family, former owners of the Avignonesi winery in Tuscany but with Puglian roots, purchased the masseria and its 128 acres of land in 1999 and breathed new life into de Viti de Marco’s project. The vision is to establish a new quality benchmark in the region, through both vineyard management and vinification.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Cellino San Marco (Brindisi province), Puglia VINEYARD: Salento peninsula, Puglia VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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90
OCTOBER 2020
Li Veli “Askos” Verdeca Salento IGT 2019
![]() Rich aromas of melon and apple meld with white blossoms on the nose. This is playful and fruity on the palate in juicy tones of apricot skins and pineapple, while a gentle grip of white tea and tangy acidity keep it all buttoned up. 92
MAY 2021
Li Veli “Askos” Susumaniello Rosato Salento IGT 2020
![]() THE 25 BEST ROSÉ WINES OF 2021 RANKED #3 Deeply flavorful with excellent concentration, this well-rounded rosé wowed our panel. Essences of licorice, basil, and red fruit make this wine stand out among the pack. Soft and creamy with a subtle dollop of sweetness. The wine is round on the palate, yet it's crisp and refreshing. It smells like honeysuckle and orange blossoms, with an affordable price point, it’s a great bottle to bring to summer gatherings large and small. 87
NOVEMBER 2022
Li Veli “Orion” Primitivo Salento IGT 2021
![]() Light on its feet and lively, this juicy Primitive is an easy-drinking version, showing an appealing mix of black raspberry coulis, red licorice, tangerine, dried thyme and ground pepper. Drink now. 15,000 cases made, 5,000 cases imported. 90
OCTOBER 2020
Li Veli “Passamante” Salice Salentino DOC 2018
![]() Spicy and savory on the nose, this red shows loads of thyme, bay leaf and pepper, with ripe dark plum riding behind. The palate is smooth and supple, with bright acidity pushing it along, yet all the while succulent flavors of dark plum and berry fruit never skip a beat. Herbs and spice play second fiddle to the fruit on the palate but lend nice grip alongside firm yet polished tannins. 90
NOVEMBER 2022
Li Veli “Askos” Susumaniello Salento IGT 2020
![]() WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100 #63 A lively, medium- to full-bodied red, with rich hints of melted licorice and espresso layered with aromas and flavors of blackberry tart, dried mint and olive tapenade. Well-knit, with a fine frame of chalky tannins. Drink now through 2025. 7,500 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. 90
JUNE 2021
Li Veli “Torrerose” Negroamaro Rosato Salento IGT 2020
![]() The 2020 Rosato Negroamaro Primerose lifts up with a delightfully spicy and perfumed bouquet. Rich textural depths are nicely offset by a mix of brisk acids, young strawberry fruits and chalky mineral tones. Inner rose blends with peach herbal tea as the Primerose finishes with refreshing persistence. If you’ve never experienced a Negroamaro Rose, this would be a great place to start. ![]() NOVEMBER 2022
Li Veli “Askos” Verdeca Salento IGT 2021
![]() 90
OCTOBER 2020
Li Veli “Torrerose” Negroamaro Rosato Salento IGT 2019
![]() A bright, boisterous nose of peach, melon and apricot starts off this fruity but balanced rosato. Rounded and juicy in feel, the palate offers creamy melon and stone fruit flavors upfront that progress to more citric elements of grapefruit and orange zest. It ends on a lingering apricot peel note that leaves a crisp, delightfully tactical sensation. |