Xenium blanc de noirs metodo classico

Domini Dauni is a young winery that, as the name suggests, is located near the Appennino Dauno, in the Foggia area, specifically in San Severo.
The mountains near which we find ourselves form the natural extension of the Appennino Sannita and are characterized by oak and beech forests, among which one occasionally glimpses a stone house or a hilltop village steeped in history.
San Severo, just like D'Araprì and Teanum, whose wines we have tasted on several occasions, including their metodo classico.
The winery is young and small, but with a clear vision! Planting Pinot Nero in Puglia and producing excellent metodo classico wines – bold choices carried out with dedication and quality!
The winery's enologist is Cosimo Cristiano Chiloiro, who has worked in many wineries, including alongside Cotarella, and among these I am pleased to mention one of my favorite Campanian estates: Azienda Agricola San Salvatore. In 2013, invited by Prof. Luigi Moio – a prominent figure in the international winemaking world and Full Professor of Enology at the Università degli studi Federico II di Napoli – he held a seminar on sparkling wine production at the Avellino branch campus.

The fruit of Cosimo Cristiano's work and that of the entire Domini Dauni team includes:

• Xenium bianco, a metodo classico sparkling wine made from Bombino Bianco grapes;
• Albor, a still white wine from Bombino Bianco grapes;
• Piè di Rosa, a still rosé born from a blend of Negramaro and Malvasia;
• Rubeus, Montepulciano and Nero di Troia aged in steel for twelve months;
• Atrum, Montepulciano and Nero di Troia aged in French oak barriques for a period ranging from twelve to eighteen months.

The wine I will be telling you about is a blanc de noirs, produced using the metodo classico through white vinification of Pinot Nero grapes; Xenium Brut rosè is bottled after 6 months, then rests on the lees for three years and finally reaches our hands to be uncorked and enjoyed!
The color is a rosé deeper than salmon; the perlage is fine, dense and persistent. On the nose, aromas of yeast, bread crust, pomegranate, redcurrant and rosehip.
On the palate, a pleasant acidity, bubbles that caress the taste buds leaving roundness and freshness; the persistence is excellent for the style and the result is truly very pleasant. What pleasantly impressed me, beyond the P.A.I., is the enjoyable finish.
I drank it as an aperitif, but it would have been an excellent companion to a fish-based meal; highly recommended with sushi, sashimi and "crudo barese".
I am truly happy that a wine of this kind was born from a southern winery; it testifies to how well the Metodo Classico is practiced throughout our peninsula, and now that we have the raw material we only need to focus on showcasing its value – first domestically and then abroad. So, thank you to Domini Dauni for this wine.