Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Meet the producer: Azienda Felline, Manduria, Puglia, Italy


Master Class at the London Wine Fair (online) 2021 with Gregory Perrucci of Azienda Felline, Manduria, Italy.

Specialists in Primitivo di Manduria. Four different wines:

1. Felline 2019, red soil

The most typical soil of this region, rich in iron. Planted mostly in alberello style. Intense aromas on the nose, warm and velvety, smooth in the mouth, powerful fruit. Moderately complex and long.
Score 89

Calcareous, porous soil, waters filters down easily, forces roots to work harder. Rich of fossils!
Again a smooth velvety wine, even more complex than the previous one.
Score 90

Terrain is soft, alluvial origins, ancient forests decomposed, which makes for a longer annual cycle, the last primitivo to be harvested usually end of september. Old vines 80+ years.
Gregory used Zinfandel grafts he bought in California to develop this "twin grape" here, experiment was successful and expanded production. Now Felline represent Italy in California each year for Zinfandel fair.
Score 90

4. Dunico 2017 (unico on dunes)
Sandy soil, on dunes by the sea. Ripen early, first to be harvested hence the name "primitivo", primo among various varieties of grapes to be ready, late August already picked.
Old wine making land, goes back to Greeks, vines grew on the soil, like big black snakes on the white sand.Up to 16% abv! Very rich and complex, difficult to grow, can not make this wine every year.
Score 92