Santa Lucia Castel del Monte Riserva 1997

On the Adriatic coast in the region of Puglia, about sixty kilometers south of the spur of Italy's boot, lies the port town of Trani. Twenty kilometers inland from Trani, just beyond the town of Corato and rising 250 meters above it is the Santa Lucia farm. A few kilometers further on, and rising higher stands the extraordinary octagonal castle built by the Swabian Emperor Friedrich II, visible except on the rare cloudy day. It is from this singular structure that Castel del Monte DOC gets its name. Here, the summers are long and hot, so hot that one's spirit sags and wilts. Santa Lucia's single-level villa of about 300 square meters - dating back to the early 17th century - has walls so thick that a complete bathroom was carved into one. Inside it is cool and in the subterranean cellar the temperature is never above 64 degrees F, even on the hottest summer days. The most unusual aspect of this estate is its size. Most wineries in Puglia are enormous, factory-like facilities, producing millions of bottles per year. Santa Lucia, on the other hand, produces fewer than 8500 cases in a typical vintage. Small by any standards, this production is truly miniscule on the Puglian scale. The vineyards are hand-worked, like gardens, and the winemaking is just as personal and meticulous.