Veneri – Sauvignon Blanc from Tenuta Liliana
A recent article about Tenuta Liliana at Parabita in Puglia featured their flagship red wine, an organic Cabernet Sauvignon. This has risen, phoenix-like, from the remains of Olive Trees lost to the Xylella disease. So impressive was this wine that it’s only natural to follow this up with the Estate’s new Sauvignon Blanc, called Veneri. This is an IGP Salento, covering the Puglian provinces of Brindisi, Lecce, and Taranto.
National Archaeological Museum, Taranto – The Venuses of Parabita
The name Veneri was inspired by the Grotta delle Veneri di Parabita, where in 1966 the Venuses of Parabita were discovered in a limestone cave. These are two small female statues carved from animal bone. Some of the oldest examples of Italian Palaeolithic art from 20,000 years ago!
The one-hectare plot for this wine is nearby, at the Contrada Lembo vineyard. This is on a hill called Serra di Sant’Eleuterio, 200 metres high, with a north-south exposure. Here, the land rises from the flat plain between the Ionian Sea to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the east. The prevailing easterly winds constantly blow through the guyot-trained vine-rows, mitigating sultry heat and humidity. There is good diurnal variation, too! Meanwhile, the soil here is rich in limestone and red clay. The limestone brings good natural drainage, while the clay element helps retain water.
The Sauvignon Blanc vines are French clones (108 and 159) and rootstocks (R110 and Gravesac). These are chosen for high-quality, emphasising aromatics. They are also lime, drought and phylloxera-resistant. Being Certified Organic and farmed Regeneratively completes the picture.
The wine
Veneri, Sauvignon Blanc, IGP Salento. 2024. 13.5%
Technical
Harvested by hand on 22 August 2024. After pressing, the must ferments in stainless steel tanks. Maturation was then for five months in stainless steel. No wood was used, with the emphasis on retaining varietal character, especially aromatics and acidity. The new wine was bottled in clear glass under cork, with only 2,500 bottles of this first release. The nicely designed label shows the stylised Venuses of Parabita.
Tasting
An attractive bright lemon yellow, the aromatics are typically “green”, with fresh garden peas, beans and box. These were a little subdued at first, but soon intensified as the wine opened up. On the palate, there’s plenty of refreshing acidity, in balance with the alcohol. The fruit is lightly citrus with elderflower, grass, and a stony mineral sensation, gradually fading to a long finish. Overall, the impression is of an exuberant, silken-textured wine with a welcome tautness and tension. This is a Sauvignon Blanc very much in the style of Sancerre, offering subtlety and nuance. A little austere at this stage, it will benefit from another year in bottle.
And comparisons? Admittedly, these young vines making Veneri can’t yet offer the complexity of the greatest Sancerre sites such as Les Monts Damnés. However, they make up for that with a charming youthful exuberance. It’s drinking now, but best kept for a year or so.
Food
Salmon and Morecambe Bay Shrimps
Veneri was an excellent partner for oven-roasted Salmon fillet with Morecambe Bay Shrimps. Veneri picked up the mace, butter and nutmeg from the shrimps extremely well. It also complemented the organic garden vegetables perfectly. Then, after this success, the final glass was with Caprino Pugliese, a local goat’s cheese. Sauvignon Blanc’s affinity with goat’s cheese is legendary, so this local example seemed apt.
UK availability: Tacco £45.00
And Finally
Veneri is the first release, and these are very young vines, so future vintages will undoubtedly bring more complexity as the vines reach maturity. Nevertheless, this is an excellent wine, and if you like Sancerre (as I do), then this is an easy recommendation. It also confirms my impressions of Tenuta Liliana as being a winery to watch closely in the years ahead.
There is an intention to use Georgian Qvevri in the Sauvignon Blanc wine-making process in future. Whether this will be Veneri or have a different name, we’ll find out in 2027.
Location
Tenuta Liliana
Villa Lilium
Contrada Rischiazzi
73052 Parabita
Lecce
Puglia
Italy
What3words Location
All the details about Tenuta Liliana and their Cabernet Sauvignon are here.