Aromas of ripe black fruits—blackberry, fig, blueberry, plum—and touch of mace. The dark fruits repeat on the palate, which offers very nice freshness, good weight, and a lovely texture. There’s enough acidity to balance the ripeness of the fruit, and the tannins are soft.
Pair with creamy or mature cheeses, Cheddar, Teleme, or aged Gouda. Try with slow-smoked dishes, grilled foods, and barbecue. Many Mexican, Southwestern, Indian, Pakistani, and North African dishes will work well; stick to only moderately spicy ones. Game and roasted red meats such as lamb and steak are good partners
Primitivo, like California’s Zinfandel, has been shown by DNA profiling to be identical to the ancient Croatian variety Crljenak Caštelanski (aka Tribidrag) It is said to have arrived in Puglia in the late 18th century. It got its name when a priest and amateur botanist in Gioia del Colle selected vines from old vineyards that matured earlier than others. He called the variety primativo (“first to ripen”) and replanted them in 1799 in a vineyard in nearby Liponti. The grape is quite productive, doing quite well in low-fertility, well-drained soils. Primitivo tends to have more bunches with fewer and smaller berries than Zinfandel.
In 1665, Duke Oronzo of the earls of Lemos in Spain fell in love with Salice Salentino’s vineyards and olive groves, sold his Spanish properties, and settled in Salento. He planted new vines, olive trees, and wheat on 5000 hectares (ha) in several nearby locations. By the beginning of the 19th century, the family was exporting bulk wine to the US, Germany, and France. They began bottling their wine in 1925, and bottled Italy’s first rosé in 1943. By the early 1950s the estate had shrunk to 2000 ha, and today Leone de Castris consists of 300 ha of vines and 50 ha of olive groves, farmland, and pasture. It produces wine from 10 indigenous varieties and three international ones. The modern winery sits on the site of the original one, and the domain boasts a museum and luxury food and lodging.
Grapes for this wine come from the densely planted Santera vineyard, one of 15 the family owns. Vines average 10 years of age on clay-muddy soils are harvested at the end of September. Maceration and fermentation take place over 8-10 days at 20-22°C (cool for red wine), followed by at least three months’ age in barrel and two in bottle before release.
Charcuterie, Duck, Grilled preparations, Indian Food, Just for Cocktailing, Mexican, Mushrooms, Pizza, Pork, Roasted Root Vegetables, Slow-smoked Barbeque/BBQ Sauce, Spicy Food
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