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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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88
NOVEMBER 2022
Masseria Li Veli "Torremossa" Fiano Salento IGT 2021
A salty, light-bodied white, featuring ripe
Gala apple, white blossoms, pickled ginger and a pleasingly bitter hint of pink grapefruit peel. Lively. Drink now. 3,000 cases made, 800 cases imported. 92
JUNE 2021
Masseria Li Veli “Torrerose” Negroamaro Rosato Salento IGT 2020
How about a glass of this delightful Rosé made from Negroamaro/Negro Amaro from the Falvo family in Puglia, aka the heel of Italy’s boot? It has a brilliant golden rose-pink color, clearly a short time on those black grapes. Aromas of fresh, juicy strawberries and raspberries with a floral note welcome intense flavors of strawberries, raspberries and red plums intensified by vibrant acidity. It is bone dry making it a great treat on the table with grilled salmon or a summer pasta salad. NOVEMBER 2022
Masseria Li Veli “Askos” Verdeca Salento IGT 2021
90
MAY 2020
Masseria Li Veli “Torrerose” Negroamaro Rosato Salento IGT 2019
The 2019 Masseria Li Veli Primerose is spicy and smoky from the start, giving way to savory herbs, crushed stone, and notes of ripe pear. On the palate, soft textures are contrasted by saturating minerals and juicy acids, as this seems to hover over the senses, gaining pretty inner florals that last throughout the long and peppery finish. Negroamaro Rosato is always so unique and still an under-the-radar gem from Italy. 87
NOVEMBER 2022
Masseria 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. 91
AUGUST 2022
Masseria Li Veli “Askos” Susumaniello Salento IGT 2021
Lots of black cherry and blackberry with hints of vanilla. Medium-to full-bodied with delicious fruit and a juicy finish with just the right amount of austerity at the end. Drink now. 91
DECEMBER 2023
Masseria Li Veli “Askos” Susumaniello Salento IGT 2021
Dark and juicy, with an aromatic overtone of fragrant herb, this shows flavors blackberry compote with hints of eucalyptus and anise hyssop, mocha and smoke sculpted by fine tannins that firm the focused finish. Drink now through 2029. 90
JUNE 2021
Masseria Li Veli “Askos” Susumaniello Rosato Salento IGT 2020
The 2020 Rosato Susumaniello Askos slowly evolves in the glass, at first just dusty and floral, then developing a vivid display of melon and sweet spice over time. It’s soft, almost creamy in feel, soothing further with ripe citrus-tinged fruits, as a wave of juicy acidity lifts the experience nicely. This concluded perfumed and spicy to notes of ginger and kiwi. Very nice. |