2017 Primitivo
Grape Variety: 100% Primitivo
Primitivo is what the Italians call the variety Zinfandel, which is revered in the Napa Valley in California. After trying the UC Davis clone of Zinfandel for a few years, we were sure that this variety would make generous and interesting wine, but somehow it just missed the mark. We sought Primitivo cuttings from the Puglia region of Italy and planted them on the gentle south slope of our ‘Dadds’ vineyard, which has yielded the perfect example of this intriguing varietal.
Sub Region: South Moppa, Dadds Block
Winemaking: We hand harvest our vineyard to ensure the grapes are delivered to the winery in whole clusters. Destemming only into seasoned wooden vats, the ferment is allowed to start naturally and is in contact with skins for around 10 days with gentle extraction by pumping over and then basket pressing.
The Wine: Morello cherry, black pepper, dried oregano and tobacco leaf make this a dry red that is atypical for the Barossa climate with its high end aromatics. The sweet, soft and round tannin palate bring back the familiarity of this warm climate and early released wine. Flavours of grilled meats, dried herbs and a menthol coolness ensure that this wine is best enjoyed at the lunch or dinner table and drunk with friends in abundance without any pretentiousness.
“2017 Primitivo - 92 points
Deep red-purple; sweetly ripe blackberry to sniff; the palate full bodies and tight, bold and youthful, firm finish. Retains elegance. Lovely wine. No obvious oak. 13.5% alcohol which is modest for this grape ”
“2017 Primitivo - 91 points
It’s heady in dark plum, dried fruits, prune and raisin character, sniffs of dark chocolate. The palate does have a lift of fresh acidity but the flavours roll a similar way to the bouquet. It’s slick, rich, lightly syrupy, shows some suppleness to tannin and a good exit on mocha powder tannins. It’s a very good expression of primitivo, as it stands; for those seeking some generosity in their reds, but drinkability too. Nicely done. ”
“2017 Primitivo - 94 points
Super-smooth and comforting, this delectable red shows blackcurrant, dark plum, mocha, game and black olive characters on the nose, followed by a sumptuous palate that is filled with ripe fruit flavours and velvety mouthfeel, finishing extremely long and silky”
“2016 Primitivo - 91 points
It’s heady in dark plum, dried fruits, prune and raisin character, sniffs of dark chocolate. The palate does have a lift of fresh acidity but the flavours roll a similar way to the bouquet. It’s slick, rich, lightly syrupy, shows some suppleness to tannin and a good exit on mocha powder tannins. It’s a very good expression of primitivo, as it stands; for those seeking some generosity in their reds, but drinkability too. Nicely done.”
“90 Points
The Massena Bible: estate grown, hand picked, partial stalk inclusion in the ferment, wild yeast, open fermentation, bottled unfined/unfiltered – the only variable is that the majority is unoaked. I can just see the bunches in my eye, the normally ripe grapes studded with green berries and raisins in each and every bunch. It’s in the DNA of the variety.
”