San Marzano Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale 11 Filari 2022

This cuvée comes from very old selected vineyards in San Marzano and Sava, in the province of Taranto, at the heart of the Primitivo di Manduria appellation in Salento. The Primitivo vines, around sixty years old, are bush-trained on red-tinged silty soils rich in iron oxides, lying over a limestone subsoil. The hot, dry climate, with cooler nights, encourages optimal ripeness. Its name recalls the eleven rows of vines originally selected to make it.

The bunches are left on the vine to dry naturally, then harvested by hand from the first days of October. The grapes undergo a cold pre-fermentation maceration at 8 °C for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. This is followed by a maceration of around ten days, with a temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation between 24 and 26 °C carried out by selected native yeasts. Finally, the wine is aged for twelve months in French and American oak barrels, which refine its texture and sweetness.

This wine reveals notes of cherry jam, dried fig, prune, date, honey, cinnamon, black pepper, cocoa and blond tobacco. The deep ruby colour with garnet highlights opens onto a persistent, complex and slightly spicy nose. The palate, broad and unctuous, offers honeyed sensations balanced by a lovely acidity that brings freshness to the finish.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful, hedonistic country, the land of la dolce vita, but how difficult it is to understand its wine industry! The key to understanding the appellation system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous nation, as each region has its own appellation system. Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, bottles brimming with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most commercially useful and prestigious name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco, and many others... But let's talk a little history. Viticulture in Italy dates back to antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and modified the grape varieties, subsequently calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and certain regions already distinguished themselves by the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquest. Today, Italy is the world's largest wine producer, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a rather harsh mountain climate. The plains of the "central boot" are characterized by a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the southern part of the Italian boot, the Mediterranean climate prevails, with very hot and dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a wide variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originated in its own lands. It is a country as complex as its wines, which deserve to be explored!