2017 Primitivo di Manduria

Felline's 2017 Primitivo di Manduria has a cool sticker on its label reminding you that these grapes are planted in red, iron-rich soils. Pouring from the bottle with deep, dark intensity, this wine is extra bold, sweet and enriched, and the alcohol feels higher than the recorded 14% content. It's a thick and sticky wine with teriyaki or barbecue spice followed by sweet plum and cherry liqueur. The heat also reveals notes of bacon fat or grilled meat. This is the kind of potent but informal red you'd open on a cloudy winter day with a steak sandwich. Fruit comes from the estate's historic vineyards planted in brick-red soils. Some 150,000 bottles were made.