The Primitivo bunches are medium-small, not very compact. The skin is dark blue, pruinose, particularly thin and delicate. This is a characteristic that winegrowers pay a lot of attention to because, while in general Primitivo is naturally a plant that is rather resistant to mould or other common alterations, the fact that the skin is thin can pose a risk in the event of rain before full ripening. However, being an early variety, it can be harvested before the autumn rains, which, on the Ionian-Salentine coast, normally take a long time to arrive.

On the other hand, the positive side of the thin skin is the natural propensity to wither, which, thanks to the dry and sunny climate even in the early part of autumn, means that the bunches can be left on the vine to bask in the sun, allowing a slight over-ripening or, in special cases, a late harvest. This practice, traditionally widespread in the Manduria area, gave rise to what is now recognised as the first DOCG in Puglia, namely the Primitivo di Manduria DOCG dolce naturale, established in 2010 precisely to protect this typicality that represents the true archetype of Primitivo.

11 Filari Primitivo di Manduria DOCG dolce naturale is San Marzano’s interpretation of this unique and unrepeatable type. It’s our red gem in a universe of sweet wines.

With its past as a blending wine now almost completely behind it, Primitivo has, since the 1990s, discovered itself to be a decidedly versatile variety. Beyond the more traditional expressions, i.e. full-bodied and structured reds, the grape variety can be declined also in interesting rosé wines, another important chapter of Apulian oenology to be explored, in dessert reds, such as the aforementioned Primitivo di Manduria DOCG dolce naturale, in younger and easier-drinking reds. Nowadays, we can also observe their use in sparkling wine bases, which, together with rosé wines, represent the latest interesting growing trend, if we want to be fashionable, which imposes at the production level, both in the cellar and in the vineyard, particular attention to preserving acidity, an important component for the balance and longevity of wines.

The organoleptic profile of Primitivo vinified in red is, in general, characterised by a ruby colour tending towards garnet/orange as it ages. This is a colour characteristic peculiar to grape varieties with low anthocyanins (the polyphenols responsible for the colour of red wines), which should not, however, be mistakenly associated with premature decay of the wine, but rather with a varietal peculiarity.

The bouquet of Primitivo is unmistakably studded with multiple fruity hints that can be traced back to red fruit, from fragrant to very ripe, depending on the type of product and ageing. This “trademark” of Primitivo gives undisputed pleasantness to these wines, which are clearly enriched with more spicy and/or toasted notes when aged in wood. This is where the production philosophies of the wineries and the winemakers’ interpretations of the raw material and the terroir come into play.

On the palate, the Primitivo is pleasant and soft, thanks to tannins that are never impetuous or aggressive, although well present. A Primitivo can be good and pleasant even in its early youth, it can leave the cellars quickly, but at the same time, it can be made into wines of great depth and conservation to age in the cellar.

These characteristics mean that, apart from the regional pairing, a passepartout that takes away the embarrassment of choice at the table, the latest frontier in pairing is Asian cuisine, spicy and tendentially piquant, which is softened by the velvety smoothness of Primitivo.

Perhaps not everyone knows that Primitivo marc is also used to produce grappa. Like the wine, it is a product that impresses with its smoothness, which is also the result of the characteristic roundness of the grape variety. Sessantanni Grappa di Primitivo, produced from the pomace of Sessantanni is San Marzano’s proposal that completes the interpretation of this grape variety.