Rivera tops Wine Advocate reviews on Apulian wines

RobertParker.com #226  - August 2016 / Reviews by Monica Larner
 

Sebastiano de Corato's Rivera is experiencing an encouraging moment of rebirth. 

This has always been one of Puglia's headline wineries and their products are among the best in the region. A series of small tweaks and adjustments just made the wines even better. Rivera had long worked with consulting enologist Leonardo Palumbo who is credited with achieving the winery's high standards. Mr. Palumbo has since moved on to Torrevento and Rivera replaced him with Marco Bernabei.

That new impetus is showing fine results and I was generally impressed with these wines across the board.

2010 IL FALCONE Castel del Monte Riserva DOC
Vote: 93 points
 Representing a blend of 70% Nero di Troia and 30% Montepulciano, the 2010 Castel del Monte Riserva Il Falcone is a delicious edition with all the intensity and opulence you should expect of Puglia. Yet, it boasts a level of depth and elegance that comes as an unexpected surprise. Il Falcone is a wine with tight lines, plenty of dark fruit, spice and tobacco. Its personalty is savory and dark. The wine ages in both large and small oak vessels for 14 months.

2010 CAPPELLACCIO Castel del Monte Aglianico Riserva DOC
Vote: 91+ points
 The 2010 Castel del Monte Aglianico Riserva Cappellaccio highlights the austerity and the slightly bitter qualities of the powerhouse Aglianico grape. This is a beautiful wine with a great sense of depth and power that distinguishes it in a very positive way. Dark fruit nuances are followed by plum, blackberry jam and dried cherry. The wine boasts solid structure, a thick body and velvety consistency. It sees 15 days of skin maceration (to cement those firm tannins) and is aged in both Slavonian oak casks and smaller French barrique in equal parts. Cappellaccio could be compared to wines sold at double this price.

2015 PRELUDIO N°1 Castel del Monte Chardonnay DOC
Vote: 90 points & 20 Outstanding Whites and Rosé Value Wine List

This fabulous value wine has taken a huge jump forward in quality. The 2015 Castel del Monte Chardonnay Preludio N. 1 is a nicely executed wine that shows the ongoing promise of white grapes from the "heel of the boot" of Italy. The bouquet offers exotic fruit and honeysuckle with stone fruit and melon. Those fruity tones are very lively and vibrant. In the mouth, the wine shows medium body and attractive creaminess. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in cement vats. First produced in 1985, this was the first commercial Chardonnay made in Puglia. 20 Outstanding White and Rose Value Wines

2013 VIOLANTE Castel del Monte Nero di Troia DOC
Vote: 89 points
The 2013 Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Violante is a dark and fragrant red wine with primary aromas of blackberry, dark cherry and sun-ripened plum. There are floral layers of dried rose petal and lavender that add to the wine's forthcoming appeal and upfront style. This compact and tight Nero di Troia would work perfectly next to spicy barbecue chicken or pork ribs. 

2014 RUPìCOLO
Vote: 88+ points
The Rivera 2014 Castel del Monte Rupìcolo is a dark and savory red wine that delivers a twofold punch with dark fruit intensity followed by savory spice. There's nothing subtle about this wine. It is characterized by thick lines and dark extraction that contributes to the power and the thickness of the mouthfeel. Subtle tones of Mediterranean herb and rosemary appear on the finish. The blend is 50% Montepulciano, 40% Nero di Troia and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and you can't beat that low price point.

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