“I’ve always been fascinated by the “Masserie” of

Puglia: I have visited lots of them, ever since I was

a young man and I went there to study the typical

grape varieties of that area, just as I did in the rest

of Italy.

Here the landscape forged by ancient history

combines and intermingles with the spectacle of

nature: luxuriant fields in which the gold of wheat

gives way to the red of tomatoes and the green

of thousand-year-old olive trees and top-quality

vineyards.

When we decided to extend the bounds of our

company yet again, I had no doubts about the fact

that the Salento area would be the right choice.

This zone, which has an exceptional vocation for

wine production, is also characterized by great

culture, beautiful architecture and the elegance

of its principal cities, as well as benefiting from a

particular position, situated as it is between two

Seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian.

Masseria Altemura, lying in the heart of the Salento

Peninsula, therefore not only lived up to our

expectations, but offered a great deal more.

I fell in love with this place at first glance, enchanted

by its magical light. Within the walls of this estate

one finds the elements that encapsulate – in a single

dimension – all of the emotions that the Salento

area transmits. My instinct told me right away that

here I would be able to realize another dream: to

produce Mediterranean wines of great personality.

It was the end of the 1990s when this new winemaking

adventure started for me and my family. Since then

we have worked hard to bring a unique production

facility and its environment back to life. With passion

and dedication, together with my wife Silvana and

our sons Domenico, Francesco and Michele, I have

sought to give voice to this extraordinary terroir

which, today, speaks to us through the excellence

of its wines”.

Gianni Zonin

Enchantedby the magical

light of theSalento

Peninsula

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

The Salento Peninsula:a history of peopleswho came from afarThe Salento area, which etymologically means Land between two Seas, takes its name from the people known as the Sallentini, who inhabited this Peninsula along with the Messapians from the 9th century B.C. onwards. There are various oral accounts as to how these tribes arrived in Italy, while the historians Varrone and Thucydides and the poet Horace all agree that their economy was based, as well as on mercantile trading, on agriculture and on viticulture in particular. Thanks to its highly-developed commerce with Rome, the region had a com-munications network of notable importance. These elements would be taken advantage of – some centuries later – by Frederick II of Swabia. The “Puer Apuliae”, as the Holy Roman Emperor was described because of his predilection for the area, promoted agriculture in this fertile region, constructing numerous fortifications that are still of major interest to tourists today. A loyal subject of Frederick II was the bold crusader of Gallic origins who, upon his return from the Holy Land, called his family “Carissimo”. It was 1222, and subsequently this family of noble birth moved to Trapani in Sicily, then to Parma, and then to Benevento. However, it was in Puglia that a descendant of the Carissimos, Pascotto, settled and ordered a fortification to be built. This was at Oria, a Messapian town that lay in the heart of the Salento area, an obligatory point of passage for tribes and armies on the move and, for this reason, the site of many battles. The Castle of Oria was constructed in 1230 and since then it has resisted the many attacks that have been carried out against it over the centuries. From this well-fortified town and from the union of the Carissimo family with that of the Martinis, at the end of the 19th century, began a new period of history that lasted until the present day. It has been a long story, that which has lain behind the gradual creation of what is now Masseria Altemura. Even before the arrival of Hannibal, Oria and Torre Santa Susanna were protected centres, defensive garrisons for protect-ing the farm workers from being assaulted by brigands. The buildings of the estate were enriched, during the rule of the Aragonese in the 16th century, with a tall and massive battlemented tower, used in the years to come for sending messages with the aid of carrier pigeons.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

The various rulers of theSalento area over the centuries

16th century B.C.The Bronze Age: first traces of human settlement

9th and 8th centuries B.C.The Messapians construct a civilization based on trade and agriculture

473 B.C.A period of great conflict begins regarding the territory of the Salento Peninsula with the first war between the inhabitants of Taranto and the Messapians

267 B.C.Beginning of the Roman dominion

553 A.D.Following the war between Greeks and Goths, Byzantine rule begins under Justinian

674 A.D.The forces of Romuald occupy Brindisi: the Salento area becomes a border district that the Lombards want to wrest from the Byzantines

757 A.D.Peace is signed between the Lombards and Byzantines, leading to a splitting-up of the territory

1070 A.D.The dominion of the Normans begins

1194 A.D.With the marriage of Costanza d’Altavilla to Henry VI of Swabia, the Salento Peninsula becomes one of the strategic bases for the Crusades of the Holy Roman Empire

1227 A.D.Frederick II of Swabia leaves from Brindisi for his Sixth Crusade

1266 A.D.The rule of the Angevins begins with Charles I, continuing until 1442

14th century A.D.The period of Aragonese domination begins

16th century A.D.The Salento area is fought over by the Venetians and Bourbons

1734 A.D.The Bourbon period begins with Charles III

1860 A.D.Garibaldi conquers the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and annexes it to the Kingdom of Italy

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

A new gemin the Salento Peninsula

When one reads the history of Masseria Altemura today - together with that of the Martini Carissimo family - one is immediately aware of a coincidence that takes us back to the end of the last century, the period in which the wine-producing journey of the Zonin family (which had started off many years earlier from Gambellara) alighted in Puglia. As had happened with Pascotto Carissimo in 1222, Gianni Zonin saw in this area – and in Masseria Altemura in particular – the potential for contributing to the renaissance of wine production in Puglia. So he commenced a long period of planning followed by one of actual refurbishment, involving the land and the buildings that now represent the heart of the estate’s headquarters. The total area of the property is over 300 hectares – of which 130 are vineyards

(soon to become 150) and 40 consist of olive groves – thus ensuring substantial annual production.It is a single holding, restored with total respect for the environment and the original architecture. As in the time of the Counts Martini Carissimo, it now represents one of the flagship estates in Puglian agriculture.Besides, it has always been agriculture and working the land that have kept this country area alive and which, at the same time, have transmitted the traditions of the region. These customs were held in perfect regard by the Zonins during the restoration of the property: in order to ensure this, they requested the invaluable collaboration of people who know the Salento area inside out and were therefore able to preserve its values to the full.On land where there once grew ancient bush-trained vines tended and

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

cared for according to the lore of age-old rural tradition, and where the bunches of grapes ripened day after day, caressed by the sun and by gentle breezes, new rows of the best indigenous grape varieties have been planted since the year 2000, in line with entirely environmentally sustainable guidelines. Alongside the perfectly geometrically aligned vines there are 40 hectares of centuries-old olive trees which, with

their roots burrowing deep into the red earth mixed with white blocks of calcareous origin and their silvery-green foliage bending in the wind, continue even today to bear fruit.This first phase of major investment in the land was followed by the refurbishment of the Masseria (fortified farm) itself, as well as the construction of the innovative winery, inaugurated on 13th October 2012, designed by the architect Marco Bonelli to fit in with the surrounding countryside, with the least possible visual impact and built

using local materials.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

Masseria Altemura:harking back faithfullyto local tradition

The architectural intervention on the buildings respected the original plan and - more than restoration - it consisted of refurbishing the old premises used as accommodation or as storehouses for the estate’s agricultural activities, highlighting the luminosity and the colour schemes that characterize the buildings in the Salento Peninsula.Nothing has been left to chance, starting with the materials employed: the limestone paving stones, the calcarenite, the tufa and the white stone coming from the surrounding area, used in ancient times for the construction of the main buildings, have now been utilized in making the new ones.

Extreme care was taken in recuperating the dry stone walls and the “vore” (wells), constructed in a similar way to the “truddi”, built by placing increasingly narrow circles of limestone on top of one another without any cement mortar between them.The new winery has a technological heart but an antique soul and, under the wooden truss-beams, lay small barrels of top-quality oak. All around it, vines grow and the Primitivo, Aglianico, Negroamaro and Fiano varieties ripen under the dazzling sky of the Salento area.In front of the winery one finds the tasting and other hospitality rooms, with their typical and original cross vaulting dating back to 1676, from which one can admire Masseria Altemura’s garden of vines.Particular care has been reserved for the restoration of two constructions that are of historical importance for the area: the massive tower, which will be transformed into luxurious accommodation for guests of the estate, and a private chapel with frescoes that date from the 16th century.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

In the side panels are Saint Eligius and Saint Vitus, as well as pictorial reproductions such as the aristocratic coats of arms that recall the ancient proprietors of what was once a fief. The frescoes present three overlaying strata: the first dates from the 16th century, the second from the 1700s and the third from 1908, as revealed by the painter on the book of Saint Liborius.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

Earth, water, air and light:the elements of the Salento area

A long drive lined by centuries-old olive trees and rosemary bushes is just the start of a journey through nature that involves all of one’s senses, from sight to touch, from smell to taste, sacrificing perhaps that of hearing to leave room for an almost religious silence, rendering this countryside - «where spring is eternal and there is no envy for the grapes of Falerno», to quote the poet Horace – even more mystical. It is a picture based on just a few essential colours: the red of the earth, the green of the vines and of the olive trees, the blue of the sky and of the sea. If it is true that the etymology of the place-name “Salento” contains all the force of images such as the sun, salt and the soil, the Masseria Altemura project has succeeded in highlighting these elements, reflecting the essential quality of this zone so that one can appreciate its

natural values all the more.It is an estate situated in the heart of the Salento Peninsula, halfway between the Seas that lie off Puglia’s shores, the Ionian and the Adriatic, and which benefits from the breezes of one – more open towards the Mediterranean – and the salinity of the other.The result is a zone that is extremely luminous: it almost dazzles one, in every sense, to look at it, seeing that in the sunniest periods the white rock that crops out to the surface between one row of vines and the next acts as a mirror for the sun’s rays. These are the same rays that contribute to the ripening of the grapes, because in this area everything is in harmony.Here we have 130 hectares of vineyards, a paradigm of authenticity and of the Salento winemaking tradition: only indigenous grape varieties for wines whose role is to give voice to their region of origin.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

The value of the indigenousPuglian grape varieties

Masseria Altemura lies within the production zone of the Primitivo di Manduria D.O.C., one of the terroirs most suitable for making top-quality wines in Italy. Andrea Bacci, Pope Sextus V’s doctor and an expert on wines, defined this area in the 16th century as «stony and conditioned by the fertile aura of the seas».Primitivo, the now famous iconic Puglian grape variety, originated towards the end of the 18th century and – in spite of being a cultivar that was for long overlooked – is currently enjoying great success both in Italy and abroad because of its typical characteristics and longevity, not fearing any comparison with the more celebrated reds of Europe or the New World.

Increasingly up-and-coming and attracting ever greater interest is the white grape Fiano, which originated here in Puglia and in Campania, where it has been known since the time of Frederick II of Swabia and Charles I of Anjou and where it was widely planted during the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In the 130 hectares of the estate’s vineyards the indigenous Negroamaro and Aglianico varieties are also grown. The whole of the production process is coordinated with rigour and long-sightedness by the Zonin family and overseen by winemaker Stefano Ferrante and the agronomical director of Masseria Altemura, Antonio Cavallo. These are the elements thanks to which the Masseria Altemura estate succeeds in highlighting and telling the story of the Salento area and its wines. With the objective of following the path towards total quality, the Zonin family has begun carrying out some experimentation in cooperation with noted academics (both Italian and foreign) such as Professors Attilio Scienza and Denis Dubourdieu, in a bid to perform out successful clonal selection and

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

evaluate the optimum conditions for the relationship that exists between the vines and the soil. The analyses and mapping carried out on site prior to the planting of the vineyards showed that the 300 hectares of the property are all of the same calcareous origin, but there are two distinct types of soil, one that is predominantly stony and the other clayey loam.

There is currently also extensive experimentation going on on the Moscato and Malvasia Nera varieties.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

A wine-producing Masseriato safeguard the territory

The heritage of skills, knowledge and traditions that the Zonin family has passed down through seven generations lies behind its project to produce outstanding wines that express the potential of the Salento area and promote it on the Italian and foreign markets.Masseria Altemura operates according to a systematic production model that involves the deliberate employment of local resources, places great stress on the use of renewable forms of energy and underlines the importance of the natural environment as well as of the community of whose everyday existence it forms a part. The new winery is open to the local public and welcomes wine tourists, offering

itself as an active centre for the development of sustainable processes and as a place for education and training, in line with an innovative concept of what a farming estate can be.Indeed, human wellbeing may also be the result of having high-quality wine: it is the concept of respect for the environment that underlies the estate’s operations both in the vineyards and in the winery. An ecological consciousness and the quest for sustainable growth are the cornerstones of this contemporary Masseria. That is why, for example, amidst the vineyards of Primitivo and Fiano old wells for the collection of rain water – the “vore” – have been recuperated, in order to be able to carry out emergency irrigation both for the vines and the olive trees.In the areas surrounding the vineyards, on the perimeter of the estate, the goal has been to encourage and preserve biodiversity: it is a unique experience taking a walk here, perceiving the lively presence of the local fauna, in the midst of vines, olive trees, citrus orchards, eucalyptus plants, hedges of

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

rosemary, multicoloured oleanders, agaves, cactuses and rose bushes.It is solar energy that drives the new winery, a jewel of modern design in line with the most avant garde principles of bio-architecture: a functional facility for those who work there but also for those who come to visit. If the well-known, traditional image of the Salento area is – for tourists – that of a beautifully clear sea (cobalt towards the shore and a deep blue

further out), of nature, of art, of history, of gastronomy and of the rhythm of the folkloric pizzica dance, the modern one is undoubtedly that of wine tourism and the discovery of a Salento aesthetic that is to be found in the now-common elegance of the zone’s hotels and restaurants.For this reason, hospitality is an aspect that characterizes and makes memorable one’s visit to the estate. Next to the wine shop one now finds - thanks to the recent meticulous restoration of the Masseria – the guest

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

rooms, designed to offer the most cordial of welcomes to those wine lovers who are coming to the Salento Peninsula in ever greater numbers in order to nourish their minds and bodies, enjoying contemporary Puglian wines matched with the cuisine or typical food products of the area.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

The Wines

Altemura di AltemuraThanks to the solar energy captured by the foliage and the intensity of the light reflected by the limy, mineral soil, the specially selected, hand-picked bunches of this Primitivo give rise to a modern interpretation of the principal grape of Puglian winemaking. The balsamic and spicy notes of this red create an attractive harmony with the nuances of blackberries, bilberries, violets and chocolate. Extreme freshness, rich, fleshy fruit and rounded, gentle tannins make this a cru with great purity of flavour and one that encapsulates the inebriating spirit of a peninsula that yields emotions galore.This austerely elegant and impenetrably opaque red bears the name of the Masseria Altemura estate and represents the finest expression of a Primitivo from Torre Santa Susanna, one of the three communes in the Province of Brindisi belonging to the Manduria D.O.C..

SasseoMade from a strict selection of grapes – exclusively of the Primitivo variety – grown on a terrain of reddish ochre earth mixed with slabs of limestone that have been crushed (according to the unique technique known as spietramento), and following 12 months’ maturation in 65-hectolitre casks of precious Slavonian oak as well as appropriate bottle-ageing, this cru maintains the rigour of its indigenous cultivar whilst opening itself up to international taste. Indeed, the name Sasseo (“stony”) chosen for this Primitivo is intended to recall the uniqueness, sunniness and strength of the terroir that one finds in the glass.An intense ruby red, it offers scents of sour cherries, violets, liquorice and sweet spicy hints. It is velvety, warm and persistent: a wine to sip slowly together with a substantial dish or whilst just reading a book.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

NegroamaroThe indigenous Negroamaro variety is another part of the heritage of the Salento area, so deeply imbued with history. This is a red with an extraordinary tannic texture, which remains impressed on one’s consciousness thanks to the depth of its purple highlights and its generous, easy-drinking style. It expresses all the warmth of earth from which it comes in the wealth of sensory nuances it displays: notes of roses, of strawberry preserve, of rosemary. It matures in the cellars in 65-hectolitre casks for a year, before resting for some time in bottle where its opulence becomes tempered to a degree. It is like a summer’s day, happy and sunny, at the first sip; like a glimpse of spring, with its attractive and inviting freshness, as one finishes one’s glassful. Drink it with the joy of discovery and with the respect due to this new frontier of Puglian quality wine.

AglianicoMade from one of the Mediterranean’s most expressive grape varieties, Masseria Altemura’s Aglianico is the result of great research in both the vineyard and winery, of the Zonin family’s quest to promote indigenous cultivars and of the precious contribution of the two oenologists, Stefano Ferrante and Antonio Cavallo. The marked varietal sensations and the unmistakable complex aromatic notes that remind one even of leather and coffee make this wine highly distinctive. The forceful yet refined taste of this red is a perfect expression of local agriculture, the fruit of determination combined with innovation. It is an extremely elegant gentleman who does not fear the passing of time.

FianoFew people know that the Fiano variety was known to Frederick II of Swabia and to Charles I of Anjou as long ago as the 13th century, and that it was cultivated right here in the Salento area. The Zonin family has retrieved it from oblivion, finding in the soils of Masseria Altemura an ideal microclimate for proving that one can obtain an outstanding white even in Puglia. The recuperation of clones of this variety was not a simple task, but the result is a gratifying glimpse of winemaking history enclosed in a bottle. The balance of taste sensations, with hints of almonds, orange blossom, peaches and aromatic herbs, conveys the atmosphere of a unique habitat set like a jewel between the two Seas. One can taste the Ionian and the Adriatic in the refined salty and mineral notes and the crisp, elegant freshness on the palate. Thanks to the wine’s brilliant highlights, one might define it as “the gold of Salento”.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

RosatoFrom the Negroamaro grapes in the vineyards of Masseria Altemura comes a wine that offers a perfect example of a long-standing tradition, that of Puglian rosés, characterized by the balance between their structure and freshness. This I.G.T. Salento rosé is obtained by careful selection of 100% Negroamaro grapes which, once vinified, take on the hue of the seas that lap up against the Salento coasts at sunset and the scents that rise together with the north-easterly wind. A bright pale cherry red in colour, it displays hints of raspberry candy, iris, pink peppercorns and mineral nuances: a rosé that one remembers because of its subtle tanginess and delicately fruity aftertaste.

RosamaroRosamaro is a perfect synthesis between the colour rosé and the Negroamaro grape variety, a fusion that gives rise to this natural sparkling wine whose singularity is evident even in its name. This pink bubbly made by the Charmat Method is intended to represent a new point of reference for high-quality sparkling wine in Puglia. It is a sort of wager on the part of Masseria Altemura, made thanks to the great experience in making sparkling wine of the family from the Veneto that owns the property. Indeed, the Zonins have decided to combine their vocation for producing wines from indigenous cultivars with the innovation of offering a modern-style and highly appealing local sparkling wine.An attractive onion-skin hue in colour, and with its fine, persistent perlage, Rosamaro is designed for a discriminating consumer: one who in his or her wine - asks for quality, emotions and the chance to participate in the new evolutions of winemaking history.

MASSERIA ALTEMURA

© ADVERTEINSTEIN 2012

Masseria Altemura

Contrada Palombara sp 69

72028 Torre Santa Susanna - BRINDISI

Tel.+39 0831 740485 - Fax +39 0831 748008

info@masseriaaltemura.it

www.masseriaaltemura.it