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750ml
Bottle:
$19.94
12 bottles:
$19.54
The rediscovery of this ancient variety rewarded us with this elegant wine that shows intense notes of pear, white...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.20
6 bottles:
$24.70
Produced from 100% Pecorino, the Cadetto Orange from Podere Castorani hails from the Abruzzo region of Italy. This...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.00
12 bottles:
$17.64
Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco Salamino, Lambrusco Oliva, Lambrusco Grasparossa, and Lambrusco Maestri, co-harvested on...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.50
12 bottles:
$17.15
Lambrusco Marani (acidity), Lambrusco Salamino (perfume), Lambrusco Oliva (color and sugar), and Lambrusco Maestri...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.94
12 bottles:
$14.64
Opaque ruby. There is a savory, earthy aroma on the nose, reminiscent of meat cooking on an open fire. The palate is...
750ml
Bottle:
$10.92
$11.70
Monastrell made in eighty-year-old conofors (think dairy tanks but made of American oak). Filtered by gravity and,...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.90
12 bottles:
$16.56
Intense and complex of ripe red pulp fruit (cherry, plum, raspberry) in a balanced bottling with light wooden notes....
750ml
Bottle:
$22.80
Dark ruby red, with garnet hues. It opens with notes of ripe blackberry and raspberry, followed by intense aromas of...
750ml
Bottle:
$45.20
6 bottles:
$44.30
Color: Deep ruby red.
Bouquet: Very ripe and intense nose; ripe blackberry and plum, fig, cracked pepper and orange...
1.5Ltr
Bottle:
$14.50
$15.26
Riunite Lambrusco is perfect for every occasion. Enjoyable and straight forward, its easy drinkability make it a...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.68
12 bottles:
$25.17
A brilliant pale straw color. A wonderful bouquet of white pulp fruit. Explosive flavors of ripe pear, renetta apple,...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.27
$28.08
6 bottles:
$24.00
Well-balanced and appealing, this medium-bodied red features a core of ripe and baked black cherry fruit, with light...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.66
12 bottles:
$16.33
Dry, warm, quite soft. It is of particular freshness and flavor, very mineral with elegant flavors of citrus and...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$19.50
The bouquet opens up to candied fruit, lemon curd, dried apricot and pressed rose. Fresh floral notes complement...
Lambrusco Pecorino Mencia Primitivo
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.
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.