×
Red
750ml
Bottle: $87.99
6 bottles: $86.23
Like all great wines, Barbera too has its own crus. In certain areas and vineyards where it reaches the highest of...
12 FREE
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $124.85
The 2019 Barbera d’Asti Ai Suma is laced with blackberry jam, crème de cassis, sweet spice, licorice, lavender and...
12 FREE
VM
93
Case only
Red
375ml - Case of 24
Bottle: $35.39
A supple, concentrated red, with plum, blackberry, earth and iron flavors permeating the rich texture. Stays...
WS
92
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $30.40
Characterised by well defined fragrances of ripe cherry and small red fruits. Violet ruby red in color. Intense mouth...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $14.26
Color: Ruby red very intense with purple reflexes. Bouquet: Strong and distinctive with sensations of spice and ripe...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $23.72
Best matched with cured meat, stews and full fat cheese.
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.25
Appearance: Clear garnet red. Nose: Rich and intense, with a good concentration of delicate, crisp fruity aromas....
Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.32
12 bottles: $25.79
Wine of notable structure with intense ripe fruit aromas and hints of spice. Full-bodied and smooth on the palate....
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.79
6 bottles: $24.29
The 2019 Barbera d'Alba Morassina is fabulous. Dark, layered and super-expressive, the 2019 marks a return to...
VM
93
WA
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $23.94
A youthful nose of sweet strawberry and damson. The supple and vibrant palate shows succulent black fruits and herbs....
12 FREE
DC
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.66
12 bottles: $15.83
Dark, brooding and spicy, the 2019 Primitivo di Manduria lifts up with notes of crushed rocks, cardamom and black...
VM
89
JS
88
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $19.20
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.94
12 bottles: $19.54
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.80
Dark ruby red, with garnet hues. It opens with notes of ripe blackberry and raspberry, followed by intense aromas of...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.90
A heady dose of sweet spices grace the nose, with baked black-cherry and plum tones at the core. This is ultrasoft...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $42.53
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $37.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $40.32
The 2019 Barbera d'Alba is silky, pliant and super-expressive. Inky dark fruit, lavender, spice, licorice and mocha...
VM
90
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $93.86
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $50.45
A bright, rich ruby color with intense purplish highlights. The aroma is enveloping, aromatic and deep with...

Barbera Primitivo 2011 2019 Italy

For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.