Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2012

/ This is a simpatico wine with perky notes of candied cherry, sweet spice, spring flowers, cocoa and vanilla. In fact, it smells a lot like chocolate cake. In the mouth it is smooth and velvety with a medium-long finish.

/ Feudi is clearly at the forefront of winemaking in Campania. (It is also a top travel destination with a gourmet restaurant and other facilities). The 2004 Ognissole Primitivo has a medium ruby color and a nose of spicy dark fruit, herbs, coconut and vanilla. On the palate, it offers lush and richly extracted plum and casssis fruit, big tannins and a good deal of oak on a long pleasant finish.

Great Values from Italy / Feudi di San Gregorio is a good source for readers who want to discover the considerable breadth of the beautiful wines of Campania. Feudi’s 2006 Primitivo di Manduria Ognissole is a delicious, deeply flavored wine loaded with generous, super-ripe blueberries, blackberries, cassis, and raisins. This opulent, weighty Primitivo offers excellent length as well as richness.

/ Medium-dark ruby. Bright, intensely vinous aromas of red berries, red cherry and flowers show an immensely appealing red fruit cocktail quality. Red cherry and redcurrant flavors put on weight in the glass, picking up a mineral tang and a seductive floral quality on the long, clean finish. This offers excellent energy and verve, and strikes me as the best-ever primitivo made by Feudi from their Ognissole estate in Puglia.

/ Feudi is clearly at the forefront of winemaking in Campania. (It is also a top travel destination with a gourmet restaurant and other facilities). The 2005 Ognissole Primitivo has a light garnet color and displays red and black fruit, spice and toasty oak and caramel aromas. On the palate it offers a soft fruit attack, with chocolate notes, and is nicely balanced and elegant.

Italy's Zinfandel Pretender/ In a tasting of Primitivo from Italy, these were our favorites: Ognissole 2006 - Grapey, with purple tastes. Some white pepper, good acidity and raspberry fruit. Surprisingly floral nose. Medium-bodied and light on its feet.

Ognissole 2005 - Sante/ Spicy, hot red tutti-frutti flavors with hints of menthol. A young wine that shows it's age. Grilled teriyaki steak.