Attanasio Primitivo di Manduria 2017

Cellar for up to 15 years. No need to decant before serving. This classic Primitivo from the sunbaked southern Italian region of Puglia is crafted from 40-50 year old vines grown on the typical local “terra rossa” or “red earth” soils. Here the climate is hot and arid which helps to intensify the flavours in the grapes and ensures optimal ripeness. The must is vinified in stainless steel tanks with a lengthy maceration on the skins to capture the authentic character of the grape. The young wine then spends 11 months maturing in steel vats followed by 15 months in oak barrels. The result is a powerful, full-bodied red wine which offers all the rich dark fruit character you would expect from the deep Italian south. The wine opens with a magnificent dark red hue and intense aromas of black cherry, bitter chocolate, vanilla and cigar box. The first sip reveals a firm structure which will respond well to extended cellaring, well-developed tannins, and strong dark berry flavours. Attanasio was founded in 2000 and today the estate owns 8 hectares of vines with the cellar room located below the 19th century palace. The project is under the watchful eye of Giuseppe Attanasio who has been involved in winemaking for over 60 years. The high attention to detail and tiny yields means that the estate only produces 15,000 bottles in total each year which are quickly snapped up by Italian wine connoisseurs.