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Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $18.80
Color: Ruby red very intense with purple reflexes. Bouquet: Strong and distinctive with sensations of sour cherry...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.90
Very intense and elegant ruby red colour; broad and complex fruity fragrance with hints of plum, cherry jam and...
12 FREE
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $83.15
3 bottles: $81.49
Ripe crunchy red forest fruits with notes of candied dark cherries. Rich and bold, with juicy tannins. (Bronze) -...
DC
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.94
Ripe crunchy red forest fruits with notes of candied dark cherries. Rich and bold, with juicy tannins. (Bronze) -...
DC
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $41.82
12 bottles: $40.98
Floral aromatics of violets and red flowers, with a bright palate of fresh yet salty berry and dense but ripe,...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $54.55
12 bottles: $53.46
• 100% Zinfandel. • Sourced from estate vineyard in St. Helena. • All native fermentation. • Aged for 11...
12 FREE
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.37
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Dark colour and a nose with notes of spices and pepper, as well as ripe and jammy red berries....
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.94
12 bottles: $18.56
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $38.94 $40.00
12 bottles: $38.16
A real briar patch of a Zin, with appealingly rustic wild cherry, spiced cinnamon and bay leaf accents that take on...
12 FREE
WS
92
Sale
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml
Bottle: $35.75 $36.40
12 bottles: $35.04
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.88
12 bottles: $33.20
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.94
6 bottles: $34.24
This full-bodied wine is strongly shaped by firm tannins and a spicy, new-oak quality that fills the aroma with...
12 FREE
WE
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $56.74
Black Sears Zinfandel shows Howell Mountain's exotic, ground white pepper and spicebox in the nose, and even more so...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $40.08
6 bottles: $32.00
This is a very good, richly flavored wine, quite full bodied and generously spiced, with vanilla and brown sugar notes.
WE
89
WS
89
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $58.26
The 2018 Geyserville is a blend of 68% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet. It's...
WA
96
JD
95

Ice Wine Primitivo Zinfandel 2018

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.

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.