Country: Italy  Region: Puglia  Vintage: 2017 

Category: Red Wine  Color:  Red

Producer: A Mano

"Producing wines of quality, Mark Shannon and his partner Elvezia Sbalchiero have succeeded in making Primitivo one of Italy's most talked about grape varieties. By paying high prices for the best grapes (sourced from 70 to 100 year old vines) and focussing solely on quality and a modern style, they have revolutionised the style and quality of Primitivo. Part of the reason for the continued success of A Mano is the knowledge that Mark and Elvezia have after 17 vintages (the first was as a consultant for another company) in the region. Not only are they getting access to Salento's best grapes, but also their growers have come to realise that if they want the higher price paid by A Mano, they need to provide even better grapes than in previous years.

The quality of the grapes shines through in the resulting wines. A Mano Bianco is a blend of Fiano, Falanghina and Greco, and displays aromas of ripe pear and orange blossoms. The Rosato is a blend of Primitivo and Aleatico fermented at low temperatures in order to retain the delicate perfume of the varieties. Following the success of the Spumante Rosato, Mark decided to put his hands to another wine, the Imprint Primitivo Appassito. Made in the style of an Amarone, this wine over-delivers on every front.

A rare and ancient red Puglian variety, Susumaniello was used mostly as a blending component until a few years ago. The name means 'little donkey' in local dialect, from the enormous load the vines bear when young, although others say that it is so called because it is stubborn and difficult to manage. The wine is deep, inky purple and is full-bodied and intensely scented with aromas of blackberry and violets. The Aleatico di Puglia Passito is made from Aleatico grapes that were dried for eight weeks and aged in 700 litre casks."

Winemaker: Mark Shannon

Vineyards:

The Negroamaro grapes for this wine are grown in an old, single 11 hectare vineyard, in the heart of Salice Salentino. An old vineyard, it is dry farmed and trained on trellises to prevent the sensitive grapes suffering from sunburn.

Vinification:

On arrival at the cellars, the grapes were pressed, destemmed and cooled to 18°C and the must was allowed to ferment at its own pace. After racking in mid-November, the wine remained in an underground cement tank where the temperature did not exceed 10°C until bottling under stelvin closure.

Tasting Notes:

Deep ruby in the glass. The nose opens with crushed berries, black cherries and spices followed by a light floral note. Full and rich, yet sleek and elegant, with lingering spice on the palate.

Food Suggestion: Great with a roasted tomato risotto full of rosemary, thyme and melted mozzarella.

Closure: Stelvin  ABV: 14%