Caldora Ortonese Puglia Sangiovese Merlot 2023

96 POINTS: Luca Maroni
93 POINTS: Wine Direct Tasting Team

"Plump and juicy with attractive dark berry characteristics and a refreshing finish, this is a delicious, medium-bodied red, at a brilliant price point. The nose gives hints of blackberry and dark plums which continue onto the palate where they are joined by a smooth, round body and a slightly spicy undertone. Lifting the finish is a brightness that balances the fruit and body and makes this a great drop to drink with food. A great everyday drinker, the perfect pairing for this wine would be grilled red meat or a slow-cooked tomato sauce."

The Caldora winery was born with quality in mind, as the ‘Progetto Qualita’ (quality project) of the cooperative Cantina Sociale di Ortona. Based in the Chieti province of Abruzzo, the larger cooperative has been working for many years, producing wines from over 1500 hectares of land cultivated by around 700 farmers. Continually striving to reduce their yield per hectare, thereby increasing the quality and concentration of each grape that enters the winery, the Progetto was established in 1999 to celebrate approximately 200 hectares of vineyard area, selected from a variety of the highest-quality terroirs, which provided fruit that consistently passes the most rigorous of quality checks.