ROSSO DEI CENSI

Rosso dei Censi is the blend wine of the Garofano estate — an encounter between Negramaro (90%) and Black Malvasia (10%) that generates a unique taste capable, in the estate's words, of leaving the palate amazed. It is a wine that demonstrates the particular creative intelligence of an estate built on the legacy of Severino Garofano's winemaking vision: the understanding that the right proportion of a complementary variety can transform a wine from an honest statement of one grape into something more interesting and more complex.

The Black Malvasia that accompanies the dominant Negramaro in this blend is one of the indigenous Salento varieties preserved in the Garofano estate's remarkable ampelographic collection — a collection that includes varieties now extinct in the broader market, maintained through the estate's commitment to the preservation of Salento's viticultural heritage. In Rosso dei Censi, this rare variety contributes the aromatic complexity and the particular warm, slightly sweet character that distinguishes Black Malvasia from its white counterpart — a dimension that the Negramaro's structure alone could not provide.

The resulting wine offers balance and a structured body that pair perfectly with meat meals or ragout pasta — the estate's own recommendation, and an accurate one. The Negramaro provides the backbone and the characteristic licorice and berry notes of the variety; the Black Malvasia adds warmth, aromatic depth, and the particular finishing quality that makes this blend more interesting than either variety alone would produce.

Rosso dei Censi is the wine of the Garofano estate that most directly demonstrates the value of the ampelographic collection — the practical argument for indigenous variety preservation expressed in a bottle. It is also one of the most versatile food wines in the UniqueWines portfolio, pairing naturally with the full range of hearty Italian preparations.

Available through UniqueWines.