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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $239.95
Lots of personality here, with aromas of black cherries, olives, seaweed, milk chocolate and salted plums. Velvety...
VM
95
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95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $248.87
An unforgettable expression of Merlot from coastal Tuscany, this ranks among the top-scoring icon wines of the world....
WE
97
VM
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $217.95
The 2011 vintage was known for being an especially hot vintage and in fact harvesting started 15 days early, in the...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $134.31
Ten years on the Redigaffi shows it's vibrancy with lifted aromas of savoury spice, violet and fennel. The palate is...
DC
96
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $176.95
2013 had a very wet spring followed by a very sunny summer, although rain showers in July and August delayed ripening...
DC
97
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97
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $169.95
2014 was one of the coolest and rainiest vintages ever on the Tuscan coast. According to Tua Rita they were saved by...
DC
95
WA
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $202.06
This has aromas of blackberries, fresh plums, oyster shells, iodine, violets and tobacco leaves. Chocolate and salted...
JS
100
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $196.62
This has aromas of blackberries, fresh plums, oyster shells, iodine, violets and tobacco leaves. Chocolate and salted...
JS
100
DC
96
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Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $593.95 $603.75
2016 was an exceptional vintage in Tuscany and, according to Stefano, the best in 20 years. The cool night...
DC
100
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99
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $228.96
2016 was an exceptional vintage in Tuscany and, according to Stefano, the best in 20 years. The cool night...
DC
100
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99
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $214.39
2016 was an exceptional vintage in Tuscany and, according to Stefano, the best in 20 years. The cool night...
DC
100
JS
99
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Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $413.95 $437.03
This has gorgeous aromas of walnuts, chocolate, spiced plums, licorice and grilled herbs. Rich and chewy with a full...
JS
97
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95
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $169.95
This has gorgeous aromas of walnuts, chocolate, spiced plums, licorice and grilled herbs. Rich and chewy with a full...
JS
97
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95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $186.78
This has gorgeous aromas of walnuts, chocolate, spiced plums, licorice and grilled herbs. Rich and chewy with a full...
JS
97
DC
95
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Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $460.94
Aromas of walnuts and bark with some toasted oak and red fruit. Tapenade and violets, too. Changes all the time. This...
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98
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97
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $190.95
Aromas of walnuts and bark with some toasted oak and red fruit. Tapenade and violets, too. Changes all the time. This...
JS
98
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97
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $205.31
Owner Stefano Frascolla describes 2019 as 'a dream vintage' and describes how the vines 'underwent all the stages of...
DC
100
WNR
100
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $194.95
This has aromas of cigar box, black plums, cherries, mocha and toasted walnuts. Full-bodied with firm, tight and...
WA
96
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $211.42
This has aromas of cigar box, black plums, cherries, mocha and toasted walnuts. Full-bodied with firm, tight and...
WA
96
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $57.53
Offers fresh-crushed herbal aromas and flavors, as well as dried berry and crushed stone notes. Toasty finish. Drink...

Merlot Other Italian Reds Primitivo

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.

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.