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Very complex aromas of tanned leather, dried fruits and flowers. So beautiful to smell. This is so full and...
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Very complex aromas of tanned leather, dried fruits and flowers. So beautiful to smell. This is so full and...
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This is really beautiful with black cherries, porcini mushrooms, black walnuts and dried flowers on the nose. It’s...
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This is really beautiful with black cherries, porcini mushrooms, black walnuts and dried flowers on the nose. It’s...
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Wonderful aromas of ripe fruit such as plums, and grilled meat. Then it shows fresh soil and sliced mushroom. Full...
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A flavorful yet delicately fruity wine with dried fruit, cedar and spice character. Medium body, hints of walnuts and...
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Andrea Cortonesi of Uccelliera shows real talent when it comes to highlighting vintage variation in his wines. His...
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Balsam herbs, cocoa and sweet white smoke give way to crushed black cherry and plum as the 2017 Brunello di...
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An enticing version, whose vibrant character sets the pace for fresh black cherry, blackberry, iron and tobacco, with...
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Offers forthcoming aromas and flavors of blackberry, black currant, licorice, tobacco and vanilla backed by vivid...
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A pretty, fruity red, yet there’s tension and firm tannins to the blueberry, orange-peel and walnut character....
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The Riserva is only made in exceptionally good years with the best Sangiovese selected from the estate’s oldest...
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An intense ruby-red colour, a deep, ethereal nose, with notes of sour cherry, rain-soaked earth, carob and a palate...
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Absolutely stunning aromas of nectarine, orange peel, sweet black cherry, plum, flower, licorice and mushroom. Full...
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A juicy, young Brunello with berry, dried mushroom and flower character. Orange peel, too. Full body, firm and...
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Wonderful aromas of roses and sliced plums with wet earth and truffles. Then turns to raspberries and blackberries....
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Italian White Blends Mencia Primitivo Sangiovese

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.

The name of this grape, meaning 'blood of Jove' conjures up evocative images of long dead civilizations, and gives the Sangiovese varietal a sense of the holy, the sacred, the special. Indeed, this particular type of Italian grape has been cultivated and processed for thousands of years, and is said to be the original favorite grape varietal of the Romans, and the Etruscans before them. Throughout history, vintners have continued to plant this varietal, and they continue to produce wonderful wines to this day. The long bunches of very dark, round fruit are treasured by fine wineries in Italy and a few other places around the world, and when young, these grapes are lively – full of strawberry flavors and a little spiciness. However, it is when they are aged in oak that they take on some truly special flavors and aromas, as seen in some of the finest wines of the Old World.