2014 Es Primitivo di Manduria

The 2014 Primitivo di Manduria Es is a weaker vintage of Puglia's most muscular wine. Made with grape appassimento (air-drying just like Amarone), this is a bold and well endowed oak-aged Primitivo that seems to exude all the masculine prowess and audacity that is so specific to Puglia's personality. Nonetheless, Gianfranco Fino always delivers an exciting and exhilarating experience that is not for the faint of heart. This wine grabs you and embraces you with mighty force. The fruit is darkly concentrated and syrupy, with high alcoholic readings and evident residual sugar to match. The mouthful is flush, velvety and overtly generous. All those jammy flavors of cherry liqueur and dried plum make this the proverbial fruit bomb. But, it definitely wears that title with pride.