1 items £44.00
San Marzano Susco Susumaniello is a fascinating Italian red made from one of Puglia’s lesser-known native grapes.
Ripe red berries, dark plum and floral notes meet peppery spice, gentle oak and soft, finely textured tannins. Full-bodied yet balanced, it is an excellent choice for adventurous red-wine drinkers looking beyond Primitivo and Negroamaro.
Merchant's Tip
We enjoy recommending Susco to customers who feel they have already explored most of Italy's familiar red grapes. Susumaniello is still relatively unknown, but this bottle makes an excellent introduction: distinctive enough to feel like a genuine discovery, yet smooth and approachable enough to enjoy without taking a risk.
Appearance: Intense ruby red with bright purple reflections.
Nose: Red and black fruits are joined by violets, gentle Mediterranean notes, peppery spice and delicate balsamic character.
Palate: Structured yet elegant, with ripe fruit, fine well-integrated tannins and lively acidity. Six months in French and American oak adds complexity without obscuring the fruit.
Finish: Long, balanced and persistent, with lingering fruit, spice and a lightly savoury, balsamic character.
Choose Susco if you enjoy full-flavoured Italian reds but would like to try something beyond the more familiar Primitivo and Negroamaro.
It's particularly well suited to adventurous red-wine drinkers who want a wine with ripe fruit and plenty of character, but still value freshness, balance and elegant tannins.
If you prefer very light reds, obvious sweetness or heavily oaked wines, another style will probably suit you better. Susco has real structure and character, but its appeal lies in balance rather than sheer weight.
Susco is made entirely from Susumaniello, a native red grape grown in Salento. The vineyards lie in coastal areas on medium-textured, sandy soils with a significant presence of rock, creating free-draining conditions well suited to the variety.
The grapes are harvested during the second half of September and undergo approximately ten days of temperature-controlled maceration and alcoholic fermentation with selected yeasts.
The wine then spends six months in French and American oak barrels. Susumaniello's natural tannic structure makes it particularly well suited to this period of maturation, while the wine retains enough acidity to remain fresh and balanced.
The result is a structured but elegant red in which ripe fruit, floral character, spice and delicate balsamic notes remain clearly visible alongside the contribution from oak.
From personal experience, Susco is particularly good with rack of lamb. The ripe fruit complements the meat, while its acidity and tannins provide enough structure to handle the richness.
It also works well with rich pasta dishes, grilled meats, roast or braised beef, Italian sausages and mature cheeses.
Serve at around 16–18°C. Opening the bottle around 30 minutes beforehand will help its fruit, floral notes and spice become more expressive.
If a customer asks us for an Italian red they're unlikely to have encountered before, Susco is one of the bottles we're happiest to recommend.
Its appeal isn't simply that Susumaniello is unusual. The wine itself is ripe, structured and expressive, with enough fruit to feel immediately approachable and enough freshness, tannin and spice to remain genuinely distinctive.
If you normally enjoy Primitivo or other generous southern Italian reds but would like something a little fresher, drier and less predictable, Susco is particularly worth trying.
If you like the idea of Susumaniello but aren't sure Susco is the right bottle, browse our Susumaniello wines to compare your other option.
If you'd like to stay with the producer, browse our San Marzano wines.
If you'd like to understand Susumaniello before choosing another bottle, read our Should You Buy Susumaniello? guide.
We can ship your order to all UK mainland addresses, usually on a next day delivery.
Our shipping fee is typically £5.95 for a single item order, and a maximum of £7.50 for all other orders. Delivery fees are calculated during check-out.
If your delivery address is local, delivery is free, delivered on the same day you order. Alternatively, you can collect it from our shop.
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