San Marzano 62 Anniversario Primitivo di Manduria Riserva 2018

Drink now or cellar for up to 9 years. No need to decant before serving. This luscious Puglian wine is sure to please lovers of big, bold reds with its juicy dark fruit, hints of sunbaked earth and powerful full body. Made from the classic local Primitivo di Manduria grape varierty, this wine celebrates the birth of the San Marzano estate which was founded in 1962 by 19 local winemakers. The property is situated close to its namesake village in the heart of the Primitivo di Manduria region between the Ionian and Adriatic seas. Conditions here are perfect for creating robust yet balanced Primitivo and Negroamaro wines thanks to the proximity to the coast which provides cooling sea breezes even during the hot summer months. Plentiful warmth and sunshine helps the fruit to achieve optimum maturity while the cooler nights lock in plenty of freshness and aromatics. The fruit for this wine is carefully harvested by hand from very old vines in both San Marzano and nearby Tava which grow on the region’s characteristic iron-rich red soils. Once in the winery the grapes are slowly fermented at a controlled temperature and the young wine is then aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months. This helps to soften the punchy tannins and add subtle hints of spice, woodsmoke and leather to the succulent dark plum, cassis and blackberry flavours.

Price: £25.50 from 8wines UK