Locorotondo

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographic area known as 'Valle d'Itria' forms part of the broader Murgia zone, known as the 'dei Trulli', and is oriented to the south-east of the province of Bari.
• The soils display the classic red earths (terre rosse) derived from the dissolution of calcareous rocks, with a clay or clay-silt texture and a skeleton fraction reaching approximately 60% of total constituents.
• The altitude of the vine-growing areas ranges between 280 and 418 metres above sea level, with an altitudinal range of 138 metres, gentle slopes, and a predominantly south-easterly aspect.
• The climate is warm and arid, with highly variable rainfall ranging between 400 mm and 800 mm depending on the vintage, approximately 70% of which is concentrated in the autumn–winter period.
• During the vegetative period of the vine, from April to September, rainfall is modest, averaging around 300 mm, and summers with no precipitation at all are not uncommon.
• Mean long-term temperatures are high but rarely exceed 30°C or fall below 0°C, while summer minimum temperatures seldom drop below 18°C.

• In the Valle d'Itria area, around the Greek and later Roman settlement of Egnazia, an autonomous viticulture based on the Bianco d'Alessano variety was widespread.
• Bianco d'Alessano is considered a variety of Messapic origin, introduced during the Mycenaean and Cretan civilisations of the 12th–11th centuries BC through migrations from Illyria.
• Bush-vine training (alberello) accounts for 20% of the total, the modified bush vine trained on a trellis (alberello modificato a spalliera) for 50%, and the counter-espalier (controspalliera) for 30%, with short pruning for the bush vine and mixed pruning for the other two systems.

• The wine shows a pale straw-yellow colour, sometimes with greenish hints, a dry and harmonious palate, and a slightly bitter finish.
• The nose is delicate and characteristic, with light spicy notes and a subtle fragrance that develops with ageing, and limited intensity.

• The still-good sunshine in September and October allows the grapes to ripen slowly and fully, contributing significantly to the distinctive organoleptic character of Locorotondo wine.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0552