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Red
750ml
Bottle: $203.52
6 bottles: $202.80
The 2008 Terre di San Leonardo is a gorgeous entry-level wine. Dark cherries, plums, herbs, leather, spices and...
12 FREE
WA
90
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $252.95
This is a phenomenal, tiny-production red made mostly from colorino and canaiolo grapes. It has an amazing density...
JS
99
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $124.95
Dense ruby-purple color. Intense, intriguing nose of high class cigar tobacco intermixed with smoke, minerals, black...
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $82.49
The 2008 Corbaia is striking in this vintage. A delicate, graceful bouquet gives the impression of femininity, until...
WA
96
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $82.49
Formerly labeled Roccamonfina IGP.
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $143.95
Here's another special peek back in time. The 2008 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco is drinking beautifully right now...
WA
96
WE
94
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $272.12
The 2008 Ornellaia continues to blossom in the bottle. Dark cherries, chocolate, espresso, blackberries and mocha are...
WA
97
VM
97
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $343.95
The 2008 Sassicaia is a rich, deep wine imbued with notable class in its black cherries, plums, grilled herbs,...
WA
96
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $44.90
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $82.78
Structured and racy, showing blueberry and chocolate aromas and flavors, with loads of currant. Full and tannic, yet...
WA
96
WS
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $211.48
The 2008 Tignanello is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. The 2008 isn't a huge or obvious Tignanello,...
WA
94
VM
94
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Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $326.28

Ice Wine Italian Red Blends Primitivo 2008

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.