MORELLO IGP PUGLIA rosso SUSUMANIELLO

The Grapes and Vineyard
Masseria Croce Piccola’s commitment to this ancient and fascinating Apulian grape variety naturally led to its cultivation for the production of a truly remarkable red wine. The unique climate and high-altitude growing conditions—over 500 metres above sea level—require meticulous care to craft a red wine of extraordinary depth and character.

Susumaniello, a grape known for its abundant yield, takes its name from its historical reputation as a “hard-working” variety. However, to achieve the concentration required for a great red wine, we have carefully reduced its productivity through thinning techniques.

Winemaking Process
The grapes, harvested at full phenolic ripeness, are carefully laid on racks in controlled drying rooms, allowing them to reach the perfect concentration needed to create a red wine of exceptional structure and surprising elegance. The result is a wine that embodies strength and finesse—“an iron fist in a velvet glove.”

The Wine
This wine boasts an intense, deep red hue, reminiscent of the dark Morello coat of the Murgese horse, a breed native to these lands. The bouquet is rich, complex, and layered, balancing ripe fruit aromas with the freshness preserved by high-altitude cultivation and the delicate drying technique. On the palate, it is full-bodied and enveloping, with well-structured tannins that are present yet perfectly harmonised.
A bold yet refined wine, a proud expression of an identity that evokes the legacy of knights and crusaders in this historic land.

TECHNICAL DATA

• Vintage: 2023
• Appellation: Puglia IGP
• Grape Composition: 100% Susumaniello
• Production Area: Masseria Croce Piccola
• Vineyard Altitude: 530 m a.s.l.
• Soil Composition: Limestone-rich with rocky fragments
• Planting Density: 2,500 vines per hectare
• Yield per Hectare: 75–80 quintals
• Training System: Guyot-trained espalier
• Alcoholic Fermentation: In stainless steel
• Malolactic Fermentation: Not carried out
• Ageing & Storage: Bottle-aged for 3–4 months; store upright and serve in a tasting balloon glass at 12–13°C

ANALYTICAL DATA

• Alcohol Content: 13.5% Vol.
• Total Acidity: 6.1 g/L
• pH: 3.39
• Dry Extract: 25.4 g/L

Masseria Croce Piccola is the lead winery of ALBEALAND, a project dedicated to the protection and development of traditional Apulian viticulture and winemaking. This supply chain initiative involves 12 wineries across Puglia, cultivating approximately 70 hectares of the region’s most ancient grape varieties using organic and eco-sustainable methods.