Leone de Castris Negroamaro Il Medaglione, Salento IGT

Leone de Castris Negroamaro Il Medaglione is a fed wine from the Salento Indicazione Geografica Tipica of Puglia in the southern Italy. The estate was founded in 1665 by Duke Oronzo, Earl of Lemos and eventually passed into the hands if of the de Castris family in the early nineteenth century. The estate became famous with the launch of “Five Roses” in 1943, the first rosato wine to be bottled in Italy. Towards the end of World War 2, general Charles Poletti, who was responsible for the Allies’ procurements, asked for the provision of a large amount of rosé wine – an Italian wine, but with an American name. Thus “Five Roses” was born. Today, the Leone de Castris estate comprises some 500 hectares with 250 hectares of vineyards throughout the Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto provinces, they also buy grapes from local growers. Leone de Castris Negroamaro Il Medaglione is a blend of 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera di Lecce and is aged for 4 months in oak casks.