Our best Primitivo wines
Often referred to as the wine cellar of Italy, the Puglia wine region offers wines with a sunny, gourmet character. As in most other regions of the peninsula, wine is produced almost everywhere in Puglia's various provinces. Historically, this is one of Italy's oldest wine-growing areas. Thanks to the Greeks and then the Romans, viticulture developed in the heel of the boot. Wine and its culture have continued to exist down the centuries. For a very long time, the emphasis was on quantity to the detriment of quality. But over the last twenty years or so, Apulian wines have made a brilliant comeback in terms of quality. Primitivo, an autochthonous grape variety for centuries, is one of the spearheads of this revival. Let's rediscover this grape variety...
What is Primitivo?
The emblematic grape of Puglia, it is also found in the United States, particularly in California, where it is known as Zinfandel. Yet this variety has a completely different origin. According to research carried out in the mid-1990s, it originated in Croatia, and its local relative is the Tribidrag variety. It was probably imported by the Phoenicians, at a time when trade was booming all around the Mediterranean Sea. Primitivo is a dark-black-skinned grape variety that produces good bunches when young. It's an aromatic grape variety with a high natural sugar content. To express itself fully and reach maturity in due course, it needs plenty of sunshine throughout the year and appreciates warm climates. Originally used to make blended wines, it is now a favorite with those who vinify it as a single varietal. Primitivo wines are generally rather sunny, with ripe, spicy fruit aromas, a strong tannic structure and low acidity.
Where is Primitivo produced?
Well-known throughout Puglia, the Primitivo grape is now mainly grown in the Salento region. Known as the heel of the boot, Salento covers the provinces of Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto. Primitivo was first cultivated in the area around Gioia Del Colle, a town in central Puglia. Today, it is the benchmark wine in the Manduria area on the Ionian coast. Two appellations stand out: Primitivo Di Manduria and Gioia Del Colle. The former requires a minimum 85% Primitivo content, complemented by less aromatic varieties. The second requires a minimum of 50% Primitivo, with a maximum of 10% Black Malvasia. Other appellations, such as Salento IGT, also produce wines with this grape variety.
What are the best Primitivo wines in Italy?
The last 20 years have seen a return to prominence of this grape variety, which for a long time was produced in large quantities but with little quality. Today, many producers have opted for this quality. Here's an overview of the wines we believe deserve to be discovered or rediscovered.
Primitivo di Manduria "Antica Masseria" - Tenute di Eméra
The region's sure bet. Black fruits and figs on the nose, aromas of tobacco leaves, this cuvée is silky and round on the palate, with mellow tannins. A well-balanced wine.
Es Primitivo - Gianfranco Fino
The quintessence of the grape variety. A wine of character, with a nose typical of the grape variety, with its aromas of ripe fruit and a touch of spice. Full-bodied on the palate, with tannins of rare finesse and elegance. A Primitivo not to be missed to fill your cellar.
Oro di Eméra - Tenute di Eméra
Undoubtedly one of the region's most aromatic Primitivos. An expressive nose of blackberries and plums, with hints of licorice. The palate is full and fruity. Coated tannins, a wine with long aromatic persistence.
Per Lui Primitivo - Leone de Castris
A racy, elegant Primitivo. Here, the grapes are dried on the vine before being harvested. On the nose, notes of prunes, black cherries and hints of balsamic. A concentrated wine on the palate, with elegant tannins. In retro-olfaction, notes of black fruit and spices.
