Primitivo
75cl * 13% ABV * Puglia, Italy
Puglia in southern Italy is one of the country’s warmest regions, making it well suited to the production of concentrated, juicy red wines such as this.
Since its founding by an Italian-Californian couple in the 1990s, A Mano has been producing top quality Primitivo. The very name 'A Mano' means 'by hand' in Italian, and is testament to the ethos of the winery and its environmentally-friendly approach towards its viticulture.
The vines, which are between 70-100 years old, are low yielding, producing grapes full of flavour and intensity. This richness is balanced out by good acidity, maintained thanks to the cooler night temperatures in the vineyard.
The result is a wine brimming with ripe dark fruits, such as blackberries and blueberries, as well as more perfumed red fruits like raspberries and cherries. The mouthfeel is velvety and full-bodied and the fruit is ripe and opulent, though the wine still shows a youthful freshness. Rather than overpowering, the oak has softened the tannins and rounded out the wine nicely. There is good complexity on the finish, with hints of spice, cocoa, lavender and liquorice. This would work well alongside hearty, meat dishes.