Showing posts with label Manduria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manduria. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Primitivo Di Manduria - Part Five

Manduria is a town in the region of Apulia - Puglia - the heel of Italy's "boot."  The warm climate brings the best out of the Primitivo grape, known in the province of Taranto as Primitivo di Manduria.  In the U.S., particularly California, the grape grows under the name of Zinfandel.  In Manduria, they like to think of the Puglia Primitivos as a pyramid, with the Primitivo di Manduria DOC at the top.

Apollonio Vini Primitivo di Manduria Mani del Sud 2015

The Apollonio winery dates back to 1870 when Noè Apollonio planted grapes and made wine from them.  Wine was in his blood, as his father and grandfather - Tommaso and Giuseppe - had both been wine producers.  The generations rolled on, with Salvatore upgrading the winery in 1975, which his sons inherited.  Marcello and Massimiliano now run the place, with Massimiliano handling the winemaking duties while Marcello heads up marketing and exporting. 

Their estate is in Lecce, the capital of Salento, which is mid-way between the two coasts of the Italian boot heel.  The 2015 Mani del Sud Primitivo di Manduria saw 18 months of aging in all - six in American oak barriques, six in large Slavonian oak barrels and six in the bottle.  Fermentation was in large Slavonian oak vats.  Alcohol is at the standard for the style, 15% abv, and the wine sells for around $20.

This very dark wine has a nose which I would call massive.  Tremendous tar notes blend with the blackest fruit imaginable, pulling along aromas of black olives, leather, forest floor and smoke.  The palate is just as savory, with black plum and berry flavors joined by black pepper, black cherry cola and a hint of cardamom.  The tannins are fairly smooth.  Pair this wine with any kind of meat or game dish.


Cantine Erario Primitivo di Manduria L'Unico Riserva
2015

The Erario family have been growing vines and olive trees since the middle of the 19th century.  Primitivo di Manduria accounts for 65% of the winery's product, with much smaller amounts of Negroamaro, Fiano, Aleatico, Chardonnay and Moscato rounding out their wines.  

The grapes for Erario's 2015 L'Unico Riserva Primitivo di Manduria came from vines that are at least 70 years old.  The wine aged for 12 months in steel tanks, then 12 months in oak barriques and finally six months in the bottle.  In addition pairing with meat and game dishes, the winery says L'Unico Riserva is also a good "meditation wine," which can be fully enjoyed when sipped slowly to appreciate its complexity.  Alcohol is a rich 16% abv and the wine sells on average for around $24.

This medium-dark wine offers a nose of dark fruit and a bit of tar.  There is smoke, a touch of clove and a hint of mint, too.  The palate is drenched in blackberry, cassis and plum, with a noticeable level of tannins.  The finish is long and juicy, with that dark fruit flavor lasting the longest.  Pair with steak or a Bolognese dish. 


Monday, May 31, 2021

Primitivo Di Manduria - Part Four

Manduria is a town in the region of Apulia - Puglia - the heel of Italy's "boot."  The warm climate brings the best out of the Primitivo grape, known in the province of Taranto as Primitivo di Manduria.  In the U.S., particularly California, the grape grows under the name of Zinfandel.  In Manduria, they like to think of the Puglia Primitivos as a pyramid, with the Primitivo di Manduria DOC at the top.

Antica Masseria Jorche Primitivo di Manduria Riserva 2016

The Antica Masseria Jorche - ancient, fortified farm, dating back to the 17th century - came into the hands of Antonio and Mariella Gianfreda in 1990.  They restored - in some places, rebuilt - the abandoned structures and created a winery, restaurant, hotel and apartments.  Emanuela Gianfreda is the winemaker, and she and her sister Dalila spoke during the virtual tasting event staged by international wine guide Gambero Rosso.  They are the fifth generation of the winemaking family.

Jorche's 2016 Riserva Primitivo Di Manduria is made from Salento vines which average about 40 years old.  The aging process took 12 months, in barriques and capasuni - amphoras popular in Puglia.  The wine's alcohol level is a lofty 16% abv and the retail price is around $30.

This dark wine has a fruity nose of blackberry and plum, but there are some more savory notes as well.  Black pepper, cigar box and black olive also come through.  On the palate, licorice and plums are in the forefront of one of the fruitier flavor profiles I have tasted in Apulian Primitivos.  The 16% alcohol is not as overpowering as I imagined it would be.  The tannins are fairly forceful and the acidity is refreshing.  This wine drinks really well and will pair nicely with a marbled rib eye steak.


Cantolio Primitivo di Manduria Tema Riserva
2016

The Cantolio collective was founded in the early 1960s and now includes more than 700 growers.  Company President Francesco Della Grottaglie is quite proud of his corner of Salento, and winemaker Salvatore Dell'Aquila loves the grapes with which he gets to work.

In the coastal area, the vines grow in sand and rock outcroppings, benefiting from their proximity to the Ionian Sea.  Inland, the soil is either red - loaded with potassium and iron - or black with humus and clay.

Tema Riserva is a Primitivo Di Manduria DOP wine which the winery says represents the marriage of the mother land and the father sea.  It was aged in both steel tanks and French oak barrels.  Alcohol is up there at 15% abv, common for the wine's of Manduria.  The retail price is about $30.

This wine has a medium-dark tint and a complex nose.  Earthiness is the overriding feel from the aroma package.  There is plum, blackberry and raspberry in there, all colored by savory minerals, tobacco, tar, leather and sweet oak spice.  The palate shows black cherry, cassis, licorice and a beautiful oak effect.  The tannins are firm without getting in the way, and pairing the wine with a meaty pasta dish springs to mind first.  The finish is of medium length and reminds me of sweet fruit, odd perhaps, for a wine that brought the savory so early.


Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Primitivo Di Manduria - Part Three

Manduria is a town in the region of Apulia - Puglia - the heel of Italy's "boot."  The warm climate brings the best out of the Primitivo grape, known in the province of Taranto as Primitivo di Manduria.  In the U.S., particularly California, the grape grows under the name of Zinfandel.  In Manduria, they like to think of the Puglia Primitivos as a pyramid, with the Primitivo di Manduria DOC at the top.

Cantine Lizzano Primitivo di Manduria Manonera 2017

The Lizzano winery was formed in 1959, when Luigi Ruggieri brought a group of a hundred or so local winemakers together as a collective.  They are now more than 400 strong.  The winery boasts that their red earth is "kissed by the sun and caressed by winds that taste of the sea."

During a recent virtual tasting event, Luca Circelli spoke for the cooperative.  He pointed out that the wine's name, Manonera - black hand - signifies that the grapes are harvested through manual labor, not machinery.  He says the Primitivo di Manduria DOP wine is a little bit jammy, a little bit spicy.  Aging took place over six months in new French oak barrels and another six in the somewhat larger tonnaux.  Alcohol comes in at 15.5% abv and the wine retails for about $48.  The bottle, by the way, is very heavy.  More on that later.

This wine is medium dark in its ruby color and has a nose featuring black cherry, raspberry, vanilla and some baking spices.  The palate is bursting with fruit flavor - jammy cherry, currant, blackberry - and a hint of anise.  The tannins are firm but not too firm and the wine's acidity offers a refreshing feel in the mouth.  The lengthy finish brings a little savory play into the mix, with a note of coffee and licorice.


Claudio Quarta Vignaiolo Primitivo di Manduria Oro di Eméra
2017

Owner Alessandra Quarta spoke at the recent online tasting session of how her dad, Claudio, left his career in biotech to be a winemaker.  They now work in the vineyards and the cellar as a team at their wineries in Puglia and Campania.  She says the winery is run in as sustainable a manner as possible, less than a mile from the beautiful Ionian Coast.  The land was once covered in water and it now shows the result of that sea influence in the soil.  

She also said that they are not yet distributed in the U.S., and she would appreciate it if customers would ask for her wine where they shop.  The topic of the sometimes extremely heavy bottles from Manduria was broached, but she didn't have a very conclusive answer.

The Primitivo di Manduria Oro di Eméra 2017 comes from the Eméra Estate in the Primitivo lands of Marina di Lizzano, in the province of Taranto.  The name was derived from Hemera, the Greek goddess of the day, because of the way the sun hits the calcium-rich soil.  Other wines come from Moros Winery in the Negroamaro lands of Guagnano and Sanpaolo Winery in the Irpinia del Vino.  The wine was aged at least a year in small oak barrels.  Alcohol is listed as 15% abv and the retail price is around $25.

This wine is dark, and carries a deep purple color in the glass.  The nose has plum and blackberry fruit, but they are hiding behind a more savory curtain of aromas: pepper, violets, leather and a box of cigars. The palate shows youthful black fruit and a double handful of tannins.  Give the wine some time to relax after opening.  


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Monday, May 24, 2021

Primitivo Di Manduria - Part Two

Manduria is a town in the region of Apulia - Puglia - the heel of Italy's "boot."  The warm climate brings the best out of the Primitivo grape, known in the province of Taranto as Primitivo di Manduria.  In the U.S., particularly California, the grape grows under the name of Zinfandel.  In Manduria, they like to think of the Puglia Primitivos as a pyramid, with the Primitivo di Manduria DOC at the top.

PaoloLeo Primitivo di Manduria Passo del Cardinale 2018

Paolo Leo's family is five generations deep into winemaking, with a sixth being groomed to step into their father's shoes.  Young winemaker Nicola Leo believes that he brings out the best of what the vineyards offer each vintage.  His comments are dotted with phrases like, "respect for nature" and "passion for noble work."

Primitivo vines, when properly pruned, will grow a secondary bunch of grapes which are taken in a "second harvest" nearly a month after the first collection.  These grapes from both harvests were fermented in steel tanks, then the wine was aged, three months in oak barriques and six months in steel.   Alcohol sits at 14% abv and the wine usually sells for $20 or less.

It is a medium dark wine with a savory nose, showing violets, licorice, forest floor and a touch of cardamom.  The palate is spicy, with black pepper and herbs joining the black berry profile.  The tannins are quite firm and the acidity is fresh.  It is a youthful wine which will pair nicely with a pork roast.


Agricola Pliniana Primitivo di Manduria Juvenis
2017

Agricola Pliniana is a collective of grape growers, farmers who provide the Primitivo di Manduria grapes that went into Juvenis.  A winery rep said on a recent virtual tasting that it is the oak treatment sets them apart.  The alcohol content is 14% abv and the retail price is around $11, a very nice value.

This wine is medium-dark with a ruby hue.  The nose is subtle, but shows off blackberry and raspberry aromas along with notes of black olive, cigars and spices.  The palate is nice and fruity with a minty essence to go with the oak effect.  Acidity is fresh, even youthful, and the tannins are medium firm.  I liked it with my rib eye steak, but it also sat well with crackers and cheddar/pimento cheese.  


Thursday, May 20, 2021

Primitivo di Manduria - Part One

Manduria is a town in the region of Apulia - or, Puglia - the heel of Italy's "boot."  The warm climate brings the best out of the Primitivo grape, known in the province of Taranto as Primitivo di Manduria.  In the U.S., particularly California, the grape grows under the name of Zinfandel.  In Manduria, they like to think of the Puglia Primitivos as a pyramid, with the Primitivo di Manduria DOC at the top.

Terracalò Primitivo di Manduria 816  2019

The Terracalò 816 wine was made from Primitivo di Manduria grapes which were left drying on the vine for a short time before being harvested.  Once vinified, the wine was aged in a combination of French oak barriques and stainless steel tanks.  The wine then aged further in the bottle for five months.  

Owner Alberto Calò spoke on a recent Zoom visit for wine writers, and he called 816 rustic and powerful.  I doubt that I can improve on that description, but I will try.  I didn't catch any explanation for why the bottle seemed to weigh 816 pounds.  It was still heavy when empty.  Alcohol chimes in at 15.5% abv and it retails for about $30.

This wine is medium-dark in the glass and initially smells like eucalyptus.  There is also some black currant and black pepper in the mix, but the smoky/minty aspect of the nose is inescapable.  The palate is dark and delicious - blackberry and licorice flavors join with elements which are more earthy than spicy.  There is a sweetness that comes through as well - there's a lot going on here.  The tannins are firm enough for a meat sauce dish and the finish is lengthy.  


Masseria Cicella Primitivo di Manduria Pepe Nero
2018

A masseria, on Italy's Apulian peninsula, is a fortified farmhouse.  The style dates back to the 16th century, when there was a need for an estate to have a fortress to protect its inhabitants.  Nowadays, a masseria is more likely to be luxury accommodations… or a winery.

Cicella Owners Michele and Cosimo Schifone are continuing a family tradition in the vineyards.  Michela spoke to the viewers on the virtual tour.  

The 2018 Pepe Nero was named for the "Pepe" district in the area.  The wine sees some stainless steel aging, plus some time in the bottle - no oak aging was reported.  It is classified as a Primitivo di Manduria DOP wine.  Alcohol sits at a lofty 16% abv and it sells in the $20 range.

This is a dark wine, in color, aroma and taste.  The nose is extremely savory, with tar paving the way for anise, blackberry and currant.  The freshness is amazing, with a lively acidity and firm tannins.  Pair it with game if you've got it, Bolognese if you don't.  It's actually so good you may not even think to have food with it. 


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