Volturno’s pizza in Worcester is a classic for Neapolitan pies, especially on half-price Mondays and Tuesdays. This place is a terrific restaurant and value. Four of us split 2 pizzas, I had glass of white and the table shared the bottle below.
2023 Masseria Li Veli Susumaniello 2023 Salento – dark but vivid crimson color. The aromas feature bright, pungent red fruit, mostly cherry, with a hint of black pepper. The palate offers a broad, lovely texture, albeit a bit hollow in the middle. This is an easy, seductive glass of simple pleasure. Rated 89, drink up.
IIRC the bill for dinner came to $87+, including tax. The breakdown (approximately)
Glass of Arneis - $12
Bottle of red - $52
Two pizzas - $18
They offer red sauce pizzas, but we wound up with one with fig and prosciutto and one with pistachio and sausage.
Outstanding!
Thanks. Italy has so many grape varieties you never see in the US. A couple days ago, we had a 2018 Petit Rouge from Valle d"Aosta that was quite good.
I’d love to taste how Susumaniello tastes like, but the few bottles that have come my way have been spoofy crowdpleasers that have had a lot (+10 g/l) residual sugar and tons of sweet, oaky aromas (oak chips?), making the wine taste more like a mulled wine than anything one could take seriously.
Your bottle sounds more like a proper red wine, which is a relief. With my disappointing experiences I was starting to doubt if there are any producers making something serious from this intriguing grape variety!
Earlier this month, a family member brought a bottle of Susumaniello, purchased at Trader Joe’s for $10, to a family blind tasting. I couldn’t place the flavor profile, but it seemed close to a new world Syrah so that’s what I guessed. I found it to be a tasty, fruit-forward, crowd-pleaser in style but not over the top at all (scored it 88). Excellent value for the quality.
I would not be surprised if there was minimal RS in this bottle, but <5 g/l, nothing close to 10. And I would bet big that there is zero oak of any kind.
Stylistically, this reminded me a little of a non-serious Beaujolais Cru. Retail here is ~$25, good value IMO and also in a restaurant for 2X retail.
Pretty sure this is one of the varieties Bryan Harrington sourced for UC Davis’ Foundation Plant Services. They have it, in case anyone wants to plant it.
I remember Bryan being fond of the variety. I’ve had a few bottles over the years and enjoyed them, but it’s been too long for specific memories. We’re lucky to have some good importers of Italian wine, and good retailers, so tend to get good examples of grapes like this.