La Bollina Actarus Primitivo di Manduria 2023

Cellar for up to 15 years. Decant for an hour or more before serving. This is a powerful, rustic red wine, made completely from the thick-skinned Primitivo grape. It is very dark purple in the glass, verging on black. It opens with strong scents of plum, raspberry, blackberry, chocolate, and herbs, alongside warm hints of baking spice, which evolve as the wine breathes. La Bollina can be found in the southern part of Piedmont. This is the home of Nebbiolo and Gavi, the grapes that La Bollina are most famed for – but the winery’s grape portfolio has expanded to many of Italy’s great wine regions, including Puglia in the country’s southern tip. The operation is overseen by Marco Roveda, with help from enologist Andrea Zampieri and agronomist Franco Fierri. On the palate, Actarus is a classic Primitivo from Puglia, bursting with power and the latent heat of the Mediterranean sun. Notes of raisin, leather, and ripe black fruits hit on the palate, along with smooth tannins and lively acidity. As it evolves, flavours of cocoa and tobacco smoke also emerge. It spent 12 months ageing in oak barrels before bottling. This is a great wine for pairing with steak, charcuterie, or eggplant parmesan.

Price: £18.59 from 8wines UK