Primitivo or Zinfandel? A nice example from Puglia, Italy. Fatalone 2009

Here again a lovely area to go on holidays but even to try wines 🙂 I would like to talk about an appellation not so famous compared to the other DOC from the South of Italy, like Taurasi from Campania, Vulture in Basilicata, Etna from Sicily and so on. It is a Gioia del Colle DOC from Puglia Region, created in 1987 to permit 100% Primitivo Grape in a wine. By disciplinare, minimum alcohol level is 13%abv but can rich easily 15%…most of the times. Primitivo can be very opulent, dark, jammy and sometimes also almost sweet but this is not the case of the Fatalone 2009.

But.. where is Puglia? In the hell of Italy, lets have a look to the map:

A bit of history (source:www.fatalone.it)

In the XVIII century, Benedictine monks introduced new vines in Apulia. In Gioia del Colle, the monks found the most favourable conditions for viticulture. PRIMATIVO, also known as U’PR’MATI’VE in our local idiom, is the original name of the Primitivo grape in Gioia del Colle. It was selected at the end of the 1700’s by the chief-priest of Gioia del Colle, Don Francesco Filippo Indellicati, who named it Primativo®, due to its early ripening, in comparison with the other red grapes in the countryside of Gioia. Where is Gioia del Colle? There we go with the map as usual:

The Primitivo was the first vine to cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach California , where it became known as Zinfandel. Wine experts from all over the world praised the qualities of this grape. The Primitivo vine is particular because its secondary budding is fruitful, in fact, it is the only vine all over the Mediterranean area to supply a secondary harvest: the “racemi”. They are smaller grapes less full-bodied but much more delicate and sweet-smelling.

THE FATALONE 2009 

At the moment is the forurth generation producing wines. in 1987 the first bottle of Fatalone was born.

Fatalone means ‘Lady Killer’ or ‘Don Giovanni’, kind of homme fatale if you want. And it was a family nickname that become a kind of second surname, as it is typical in Italy. The wine is fully organic and made with sustainable agriculture.

Few important info:
size: 8 hectares
bottles:  25.000 bottles
Process: fermentation of the must in contact with the skin for 200 hours at controlled temperature and just with autochthonous yeasts. Open-cycle process with frequent pumping of the must over the pomace. Re-integration only of the sulphites lost during the vinification steps to restore the initial natural value. Natural malolactic fermentation.
Ageing: 6 months in wine stainless steel tanks, 6 months in Slavonic oak casks, 6 months in bottle.
Alcohol: 15% abv

Tasting notes:

eye: dark red ruby

nose: plum, sharron fruits,  sweet tobacco scent, chocolate

mouth: sour black cherry,cranberries,  plum and toffee with an after taste of toasted almonds and caramel. Dry finish, delicate fruits, elegant wine, reminds a lot a Cab Franc from Loire, but with more intensity and concentration.

The wine change a lot in the glass, lots of so called tertiary aromas will come through step by step, I think it is a wine that should be opened only if you have time to enjoy it and have the patience to wait its evolution. Maybe is better to have another one ready to go…of course drink responsible, two glasses are more than enough 🙂 The alcohol level is quite high.

Share this wine with your best friends and family with a nice lamb dish or with food that you love.

You can find this wine easily on internet. Many supplier take it in United Kingdom and in other countries as well.

Grazie e salute!!

Moraitis..wines of Paros Island, Greece

Today I would like to speak about a producer in the island of Paros…called cuvée ‘Sillogi’ by Moraitis WInery.

I found some infos on their website: http://www.paroswines.gr/

A genereation of winemakers:

…The winery of Moraitis family is located in Naoussa Paros by the beach of Aghioi Anargyroi.
It was founded in 1910 by Manolis Moraitis. He cultivated his own vineyards, while he gathered and vinificated grapes from the whole island. The second generation with Theodoros Moraitis continued the vine growing and the wine making. In 1967 he did his first bottled wine and put the winery on a new era. In 1980 the third generation took over, represented by Manolis Moraitis jr who put his own mark in the Winery’s historical course. He renovated and modernized the winery, extended the vine growing, planted and cultivated indigenous varieties…

Where is Paros?

As you can see from this map, found somewhere on the net, it is in the middle of the Aegean Sea. North of Santorini Island, probably more famous as a tourist destination. I never had a chance to be there but apparently is a fantastic…lovely food..beaches and so on…A must  place to go on holidays (I am waiting for an invitation that maybe after this post will arrive…just joking 😛 )

Its roots run deep, to the Cycladic Civilisation era (3200 – 2000 B.C.). The main white variety is Monemvasia, early and high grade. According to Mrs Stavroula Kourakou, Dr Chemist – Oenologist, Paros is the arc which saved the variety Monemvasia (Malvasia) from the Venetian rule era until today. Other varieties cultivated are Black Aidani, Vaftra, Karabraimi, White Aidani, Asyrtiko, Savatiano, Malagouzia, Roditis, Maloukato and Potamisi.

I really fell in love for their white wine called Sillogi…the grapes come from private organic vines of Moraitis Winery, made of the varieties Malagousia and Assyrtiko, the vineyard is integrated in a biological culture programme since 1997 and controlled by the certification organization DIO.

The wine has a pale yellow colour with with a green hue. The nose has a lovely flowery bouquet, grapefruit aromas, mediterranean herbs like thyme, bayleaf. In the mouse is mineral, dry, lots of ripe citrus fruits, like cedar, orange zest. Full of fresh fruits, savoury and the finish is long and mouthwrapping. It reminds a lot an Italian Vermentino, a Spanish Verdejo or even an Austrian Gruner Veltliner.

The alcool is so well integrated and makes it a perfect wine to start your meal, with fresh seafood, raw or cooked, salads of tomatoes, light risotto, chicken marinated in exotic fruits like pineapple and mangos…etc etc 🙂 You decide of course 🙂 Best served chilled at around 8 – 10 °C.

I did not have the chance to try his other cuvées but I can say that this wine is a good business card, approachable price and top quality. Deserve to be tried!