MANDURIA DOC
The Map
The Manduria DOC (dark green) is located within the greater Salento IGT (light blue) along the western coast of Puglia. The DOC is in the southern portion of the Taranto province and extends to the western limits of the Brindisi province. Manduria is also the name of a specific commune located within the province of Taranto, but clearly the production zone is not confined to just this commune.
The Name: Primitivo di Manduria DOC
Manduria DOC is considered one of the best zones for Primitivo.
The Primitivo name refers to the grape’s early ripening status. Primitivo comes from the Latin “primativus”, “Primi” or “before” in English. It ripens early and well, with little issue developing its sugars and phenolics (aromatics and flavors). It is harvested in August which is early even for warm-hot mediterranean weather standards (other southern regions with low elevation harvest grapes in September at the earliest).
The History
Primitivo is genetically identical to Zinfandel. But hang on, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. The Zinfandel you drink in California is rather different from the Primitivo in Puglia. The conversation of biotypes is constant among wine professionals and viticultural scientists and it's an unavoidable topic, even for the consumer.
Primitivo cuttings are originally from Croatia where the grape is known locally as Crljenak Kaštelanski or Zagreb--both the North American Zinfandel and the Puglian Primitivo were taken from here. From this point, however long ago, these vines have grown apart from one another. Grape vines prove enormously adaptable, to the point where you might question their genetic relationship as they can behave and look completely differently. Their wines are different too. Such is the case with Zinfandel and Primitivo. So yes, technically Zin and Primitivo are genetically identical; however, they look different, they make pretty different wines, and your tastebuds will tell you so.
Croatia is Puglia’s neighbor on the Adriatic coast, so Primitivo is thought to have first made an appearance here, though precisely when is unclear. Its arrival to Manduria specifically is marked by the arrival of Contessa Sabini di Altamura in the late 1800s; the vine cuttings were apparently part of her dowry (to?). The monk Filippo Francesco Indellicati gave Primitivo its name in the 18th c., but before he did, its name held ties to its Croation origins: “Zagarese” (Zagreb in Croatian).
You might hear that Manduria is in the “heart of the Magna Graecia”—Magna Graecia refers to the southern Italian coastal regions: Campania, Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, which were all colonized by the Greeks. These southern colonies were chosen by the Greeks for their fertile land and strategic positioning as the meeting point of the Greek, Etruscan, and Phoenician worlds. The positioning of Puglia was certainly key for the ancients and even nowadays this cultural history is tangible: with pristine Baroque towns and white washed, conical roofed mountain dwellings. It’s a truly magnificent place.
The Land
The Primitivo di Manduria DOC encompasses the following communes, all within the province of Taranto: Manduria, Carosino, Monteparano, Leporano, Pulsano, Faggiano, Roccaforzata, San Giorgio, San Marzano di San Giuseppe, Fragagnano, Lizzano, Sava, Torricella, Avetrana, Talsano, Fragagnano, Lizzano and the Island of Taranto.
The climate is hot mediterranean and the terrain is flat and exposed. Soil is mainly Clay-loam in the western and more inland section of the DOC and becomes sandier and shallow along the coast, sandy-clay. Surprisingly there is limestone here, though where it is concentrated I cannot say. There are also areas of “terra rossa”, or “red earth,” which is due to high iron content as well. Because of the hot and dry conditions with little reprieve from the heat, irrigation is allowed in this area, a rarity for EU vine growing regions overall.
The Grapes
To be a Primitivo di Manduria DOC, the wine must be at least 85% Primitivo grape and the remaining 15% can be any “other allowed non aromatic red grapes” (OANRG). OANRG is broad, and it’s meant to be, as it allows the winemaker freedom in blending. This extra 15% could be Negroamaro, another native varietal, or even a foreigner like Cabernet. You will find that most producers in this area stick to 100% Primitivo.
Primitivo’s ability to ripen and accumulate sugar combined with the warm-hot growing conditions means wine with an often hefty alcohol percentage. The minimum abv for a Primitivo di Manduria is 13.5% but you will probably only find 14+ % on the market. Despite the alcoholic nature of these wines, do not be surprised if your Primitivo di Manduria DOC drinks relatively light and rustic. While some can be jammy and fruity, you might find more emphasis on dried fruit and spice with surprising acid.
