Duca Carlo Guarini Susumaniello 2024

Susumaniello is one of Puglia's great comeback stories. Once prized for the enormous yields of its young vines — its curious name recalls the abundance of young vines, ‘laden like a donkey’— it nearly disappeared in the twentieth century as those yields naturally declined with age. What was once considered a flaw is now recognized as the grape's greatest strength: older vines produce fewer clusters, but with far greater concentration and character. Over the past two decades, a handful of dedicated growers have led Susumaniello's renaissance, revealing a variety capable of remarkable freshness, elegance, and unmistakable Salentine identity, and Duca Carlo Guarini's 2024 is a compelling example of why the grape has earned its newfound attention. Deep ruby in color, it opens with ripe black cherry, wild blackberry, and plum layered with cracked black pepper, licorice, and fragrant Mediterranean herbs. Despite its saturated color and generous fruit, the palate is surprisingly agile, balancing juicy dark berries with lively acidity and fine-grained tannins that keep the wine energetic from start to finish. Notes of violet, sweet spice, and a subtle mineral edge emerge with air, adding nuance without weighing the wine down. It finishes long, savory, and remarkably fresh, inviting another sip almost immediately. We’re happy to have it back in the varietal rotation.