Tenute Rubino > Who we are > Susumaniello and Torre Testa

Jaddico:  Home of the Susumaniello

The 50 hectare Jaddico estate, situated along the Adriatic shore, 8 km North from Brindisi, houses the native varieties of Negroamaro, Black Malvasia, Susumaniello, Montepulciano and Primitivo and international variety of Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyards, almost all trained to the espalier system, have a density that varies between 500 and 6000 plants per hectare. The soil is calcareous and sandy thus favouring good development of the vine’s roots and drainage of exceeding waters.

Susumaniello and Torre Testa, Tenute Rubino’s leading wine.

Traditionally cultivated in the vineyards of Salento, along with Negroamaro and Black Malvasia, in an average of one-third percentage. The grapes used to be harvested all at the same time with the other varietals, regardless of the variety and its specific ripening time. The idea of blended vinification was to obtain long-lived and intensely coloured wines. Without increasing the alcohol percentage, Susumaniello added fruity flavour, colour and aroma. It was produced in large quantities until a few decades ago, then (on the wave of a renewal of the Apulian ampelographic base), gradually abandoned and explanted until it became rare. The Susumaniello is the grape variety on which Tenute Rubino has carried out large investments in order to enhance the value of its natural richness and fragrance. Precious grape, rich in sugar and anthocyans with a good level of total acidity, the Susumaniello has been since long time diffused in the area of Brindisi and is probably of Dalmatian origin. It is a grape variety with black berries, particularly resistant to severe weather conditions and disease attacks. The English translation for Susumaniello is 'donkey', probably referred to its initial yield, so abundant it was possible to load a donkey with it. The yield decreases consistently in the following vintages reaching an average of one kg per plant. A 5 year-old plant has a very low yield, covering an average of 4-5 tons per hectare. Not being able to meet the demand of high-volume production is probably the reason why this variety was gradually abandoned.

The vineyards in the Jaddico estate, placed along the shore, benefit from constant ventilation and sun exposure. The vines of Susumaniello grew out of the selection of a 75 year-old vineyard. The plants are constantly monitored according to a specific and rigorous procedure aimed at obtaining grapes of outstanding quality. The result is Torre Testa by Tenute Rubino, 100% Susumaniello, an emblematic wine, of territory, a perfect combination of complexity and elegance. The recognition and the awards received worldwide from the most demanding markets attest its excellent quality. The Susumaniello project of Tenute Rubino with the Torre Testa is an example of how Apulia  should invest in its future. 'The Apulian companies – says Luigi Rubino – should relaunch quality-wine in this region, by investing in the vineyards, in the cellar as well as in marketing and communication. Today the Apulian wineries have certainly increased quality and aim at being more and more competitive on the market. We have to share the common goal of  removing the distorted image of Apulia  as being only a high-volume grape-producer region. We have to be convinced that Apulia  gives birth to excellent wines.'