A Mano Primitivo di Puglia 2023
Deeply coloured and exuberant on the nose, with intense perfumes of red and black fruit such as plum and raspberry, and Mediterranean spices. On the palate it is youthful and full-bodied, with a great balance between ripe, rounded fruit characters and smooth tannins.
The grapes for this wine come from winemaker Mark's favourite vineyard on the coast of the Ionian Sea. The climate here is classically Mediterranean and soils are a crumbly, dark reddish-brown and radiate heat back into the vines. The Primitivo vines are quite old; most are the original bush vine plantings after phylloxera, called ‘Alberello’, and range from 70 to 100 years old.
The Primitivo grapes were fermented for 36 hours without intervention before the free run juice was drawn off and chilled down to 12°C. The cold must was then reintroduced to the warm cap and thoroughly mixed. This complex step was carried to allow the cells in the grape skins to break down from the heat of fermentation and provide colour without alcohol extracting harsh tannins. The reintroduction of the cold must also provides the intense fruitiness of a cold fermentation. After racking, the wine remained in an underground cement tank at a controlled cool temperature until bottling to preserve freshness.
| RRP | £15.99 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13% |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Puglia |
| Subregion | Bari |
| Grapes | Primitivo 100% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 6.1 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Screwcap |
| Winemaker | Mark Shannon |
Mark Shannon and his partner Elvezia Sbalchiero have revolutionised the style and calibre of Primitivo, turning it into one of Puglia’s most talked about grape varieties. They achieved this at A Mano in Salento by paying fair, high prices for the best possible grapes (sourced from 70 to 100-year-old vines) and focusing exclusively on quality while crafting a modern style. As the old saying goes, where you lead, others will follow.
The continued success of A Mano is at least partly attributable to the knowledge that Mark and Elvezia have gleaned from over 18 vintages in Puglia. Not only do they have access to Salento’s best grapes, but their growers have also realised that if they want the higher price paid by A Mano, they need to provide quality to match.
