This is one of Puglia's iconic red wines. The 2011 Graticciaia sees Negroamaro grapes dried on straw mats called "graticci" for more concentrated flavors and sweetness. The wine opens to an inky, midnight appearance and dark concentration. You can definitely taste that overt sweetness from the air-dried fruit, yet Graticciaia is also about balance and integration. Ironically, a wine like this shows more fine detailing and finesse in a hot vintage like 2011 (despite how counter-intuitive that may sound). The appassimento process overwhelms any jammy flavors that come out of the vineyard. It also allows for fine aromas of spice, cola and licorice to come through with crystalline sharpness.