Winemaker Notes
It is an intense ruby red color with light violet hues. On the nose, dominant notes of red fruit, black cherries, and plums merge with spicy sensations of licorice, vanilla, and tobacco. Its entry on the palate is soft and generous with good structure sustained by an elegant tannic texture.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Deep purple and dark as night in the glass. The 2021 Primitivo Torcicoda opens with an earthy blend of black currants, flowery underbrush and rubbed sage. It’s soft and enveloping with ripe wild berry fruits and sweet spices that slowly saturate. This leaves a staining of licorice and savory herbs to linger as a bump of residual acidity maintains a lovely freshness. The balance here is something to behold, especially considering its 15.5% abv.
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Wine Enthusiast
Crème de cassis, dark chocolate and a smoky, peppery spiciness like pimentòn on the nose moves onto a palate of mixed berries topped with chocolate mousse and finishing with a return to the spicy heat on the back of the nose.
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Wine Spectator
A balanced red with a toasty edge, alongside light, supple tannins well-knit with notes of crushed mulberry, baked damson plum and flattering details of red licorice, dried thyme and milled pepper. Fresh and appealing.
A wonderful joining of classic winemaking and modern viticultural techniques, these exceptional wines are crafted from 100% estate grown fruit, a rarity among Puglian wines. Tormaresca is the only producer with vineyards in both of Puglia’s two elite winegrowing sub-regions: Salento and Castel del Monte DOC.
The Tormaresca estate is composed of two properties. Bocca di Lupo is located in the Castel del Monte DOC of northern Puglia. It offers an ideal growing environment for Chardonnay, Aglianico and Cabernet Sauvignon. Masseria Maime is located on the Salento peninsula in Southern Puglia. Its vineyards extend over half a mile along the Adriatic coast and are planted with Negroamaro, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.