This is an ambitious Primitivo from old vines around Manduria on the Salento Peninsula, where the grape thrives best. Every precaution has been taken to achieve ultimate quality: the grapes are harvested manually and placed in small crates containing a maximum of 5 kg of grapes. This ensures that the grapes arrive at the winery intact, where a portion of them is stored in drying rooms (fruttaia) for four weeks. This process, also known from Amarone production, shrinks the grapes, concentrating their aromas and triggering enzymatic processes that give appassimento wines their distinctive character. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 8 to 10 months in barrels before blending and subsequent bottling.
Rinforzo Primitivo Salento is an exceptionally concentrated wine that, despite its very rich fruit, also possesses a solid structure, promising great potential for the future. At present, Rinforzo is a dense, brooding wine with an intense concentration of dark fruit, a hint of spice, and pronounced yet mature tannins from top-quality, lightly toasted oak barrels. Remarkably, this Primitivo displays excellent balance, with all its elements harmonizing, making it drinkable even in its youth.
That said, it is best enjoyed with hearty slow-cooked dishes or seared meats.
With a couple of years of bottle aging, the intense fruit will mellow, giving way to the characteristic prune-like profile, while the tannins soften.
Enjoy in large Bordeaux-style glasses at a serving temperature of 16-18°C.
