A friendship that has its roots in jazz music and in the common passion for the native vines of their land, Puglia with its golden Tavoliere. All this, seasoned with courage and the ability to reinterpret reality in an innovative way, while keeping tradition alive. From here, the choice to make local wines but in a totally new way, establishing itself in a few years as the only reality capable of proposing an excellent classic method in southern Italy. This is how the company was born in 1979 "d'Araprì”, musical acronym composed of the initials of the surnames of the three founders: Girolamo D'Amico, trumpeter in life and technical manager in the company, Louis Rapini, pianist but also sales and marketing manager and finally Ulrico Priore, double bass player and today the Chef de Cave. A name that can also be interpreted with its dialectal translation which means "to be opened", inviting you to turn to and discover that fantastic world of sparkling wines, especially when the classic method, as in this case, does not belong to the local winemaking tradition. And yet, even if the technique is different, the approach used always looks to the land from which we start.
And it could not be otherwise for d'Araprì wines, given the company's almost dogmatic belief inmainly use native cultivars, primarily Bombino Bianco, followed by Montepulciano and in smaller percentages by Nero di Troia. Vines of ancient traditions, famous and profitable for their high yields per hectare and therefore often denigrated. Instead, when worked by expert and careful hands, they are capable of giving elegant and at the same time full and vigorous sparkling wines, such as those of d'Araprì.
All their wines aim for excellence and to express their own personality, because they come from grapes grown and harvested by the company itself and which for at least two thirds are made up of traditional vines, such as Bombino and Montepulciano precisely. Pinot Noir, used in low percentages only for some types of sparkling wines offered by the company, has the simple purpose of balancing and not modifying or adding quality to the cuvées. The genuineness of the grapes used goes hand in hand with the great commitment in the cellar. Only flower must is used, and it is fermented at a controlled temperature below 20° C. The tirage is made within the month of March following the harvest, with limited dosages so as not to break the harmony created by the meeting of carefully selected base wines . The prolonged stay on the lees then does the rest, safe in the seventeenth-century basement where the town of San Severo lies, the birthplace of the company and carefully chosen at the time for its peculiar characteristics. As in the production of any quality sparkling wine, here too passion and skill in the cellar could do little without a terroir of choice.
The countryside around San Severo, protected by the Maiella and close to the Gargano, takes advantage of an exceptional microclimate for viticulture, in particular for white berried grapes. The absence of frosts thanks to the presence of the mountain barrier and the considerable ventilation of the place which prevents the engraftment of cryptogamic diseases, allow for a very limited use of phytosanitary products and it is almost never necessary to intervene on the system. From a pedological point of view, the soils on which the Araprì vineyards thrive are clayey-calcareous in nature with a grayish color. Consisting of an average of 30% sand, 24% silt and 46% clay, they are well endowed with limestone and organic matter and have a high water capacity thus allowing for a regular development of the grapes. All this makes slow maturation possible, without reducing the acidity level and without degrading the aromatic components.
The Noble Reserve represents theauthenticity and typicality of a product that tastes and is from Puglia. Born from Bombino Bianco grapes only, it undergoes a first fermentation in wood, in order to give fatness and complexity. After the tirage, it is aged for at least 3 years on the lees and retains a final residual sugar of 6 g/l. The 2014 vintage was a difficult year for all of Northern and Central Italy, but the trend was different in Puglia and in particular in San Severo. Here the grapes have reached perfect ripeness almost undisturbed, without suffering disease or damage from heavy rains and hailstorms, accompanied towards the harvest by a mild and dry September. The result is a brilliant golden yellow sparkling wine with a subtle perlage. The nose is intensely sweet and elegant, immediately rich in notes of gently toasted almonds, crunchy hazelnuts and marzipan. The sweetness is then declined in the peach, apple and pineapple fruit also in syrup. The bouquet continues to open up on aromas of orange, citron and pear that marry fragrances of panettone, a buttery and vanilla brioche pan and sponge cake in alcoholic syrup.
A refreshing touch of ginger and lemon balm combined with chalk and sandstone dismiss the sense of smell. On the palate it is fresh and sapid, creamy, with a substantial structure. An interesting saline nuance joins the softness, enhancing the broad aftertaste, characterized by the same delicious toasted notes and crunchy and sweet fruit previously encountered on the nose. The fragrance of the roasts, the baked pastry and the fruity notes make it perfect to accompany traditional cuisine, such as a delicious fish first course, the famous mussels au gratin or fried prawns in an almond crust and tomato and lime mayonnaise. Produced in 9000 bottles a year, it has an average cost of 25 euros.
D'Arapri SRL
Via Zannotti, San Severo, FG 71016
Wire: 0882 227643
Email: info@darapri.it
D'Araprì was born in the heart of the small village of San Severo, a white crib that stands in the countryside of the Foggia area. Born from the authentic and creative friendship of its three founders, today their children also contribute to carrying on the company with skill and pride. The annual production is around one hundred thousand bottles, and they all refine in the ancient cellars that extend for over 1000 square meters under the historic center of the town, which is accessed through the historic Palazzo d'Araprì.
The first phase of production takes place in the vendangerie located on the outskirts of San Severo and near the vineyards: the decision is dictated by the need to minimize the time that elapses from cutting the bunches to pressing, in order to keep the quality of the grapes intact . The fermentation and the preparation of the different bases which will then be used for the second fermentation in the bottle also take place here. The awareness of having chosen an extraordinary territory to be preserved, combined with the desire to produce in a unique and special way, has led the company to want to formally commit to and sign a Charter of Ethics to guarantee the wine that is offered. The document represents a decalogue that establishes with maximum transparency the key points of the production process that the d'Araprì house respects, to keep the excellence and personality of its classic method sparkling wines intact. Points go from promise to use only grapes from the San Severo countryside and owned by the company, in order to ensure consistency in style and quality. They then include specifics on winemaking, declaring that you only use flower must from Bombino Bianco, Montepulciano (for at least 60%) and for one of their sparkling wines only Nero di Troia. Then fermentation takes place, always at a controlled temperature, followed by tirage in contained dosages, long stops on the lees and finally the exclusive use of double-rounded cork stoppers of extra quality.
