Finally I have chanced upon a bottle of Primitivo. I mentioned comparing it with Zinfandel in a previous tasting note, as they are supposed to be one and the same grape (clones).

You can see the loose interchangeability and confusion of the grape varieties here on Snooth's 'What to Expect' section of the 2007 Sollione.

This bottle was £6.99 from Cambridge Wine Merchants, which lets face it is great value for 'Zinfandel'. If you like a grape it is always worth searching out less expensive clones that have not had the inflated price due to familiarity and marketing hype.

The bottle is 'sparkly', lots of gold standing out on the dark label. It looked quite presentable in its party gear. The foil was plastic, much like the cork. My corkscrew struggled to make headway into the vulgar polymer. Pulling it was hard work, and removing it from my poor screw generated a screech of discontent. I would much rather have seen a screw top.

The wine looked very thick in the glass, inky and brooding. It was very drinkable. I suppose you could describe it as a 'rough Ridge' without the high alcohol content. It was very smooth with an earthy edge, at the same time delivering plenty of spice. Very different in texture from the lighter Ravenswood Zinfandel I tried, but there were perhaps some similarities in aroma.

Naturally the climate and treatment of the Primitivo grapes in Apulia (Italy's heel) is very different from Californian Zinfandel, where there is a tendency for over ripe, high sugar and therefore high alcohol content grapes. For example Ridge California Lytton Springs is 14.7%ABV. Suitable for fire breathers (but delicious all the same). This bottle of Italian Primitivo was only 13%ABV. A much more manageable level.

I recommend this wine. I will buy more Primitivo.

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