Tagaro Cinquenoci Primitivo 2024

Tagaro works in Puglia, the warm heel of southern Italy and the home of Primitivo, a thick-skinned grape that ripens early and to high sugar in the region's hot, dry climate. The vineyards sit on red, iron-rich soils over limestone, free-draining ground that keeps yields moderate and concentrates the fruit, while the relentless Mediterranean sun pushes Primitivo to fifteen percent alcohol with deep colour and ripe, dark fruit. After fermentation the wine ages eight months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange through the wood softens the tannins and the malolactic conversion rounds the acidity, while the barrel adds the vanilla, cinnamon and spice that frame the fruit. The colour is intense and deep. The nose is generous, with vanilla, cinnamon, raisin and burnt orange over ripe plum and cherry. The palate is full bodied and warming, with ripe, soft tannins, a faint sweetness to the fruit and a long, spiced finish. This is a rich, approachable red rather than a structured one for keeping. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees with hearty, flavourful food.