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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.44 $21.60
12 bottles: $17.10
This wine has great color, with a dark purple and red hue. There are spicy, earthy aromas of black cherry, black...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $50.40
6 bottles: $45.60
The 2019 Zinfandel Cat's Cradle is similarly hued but has a purer, crisper, more youthful vibe as well as ample plum...
12 FREE
JD
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $43.20 $48.00
6 bottles: $34.40
Dark plum and black-cherry flavors show great richness and breadth in this mouth-filling, slightly tannic wine as it...
WE
92
JD
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.94 $15.17
12 bottles: $13.66
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $14.26
Color: Ruby red very intense with purple reflexes. Bouquet: Strong and distinctive with sensations of spice and ripe...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.09
Aromas of plum and black currant frame ripe, juicy flavors of black cherry and strawberry jam. Well-integrated...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $15.05
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Dark colour and a nose with notes of spices and pepper, as well as ripe and jammy red berries....
Red
750ml
Bottle: $65.82
12 bottles: $64.50
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.88
12 bottles: $34.18
Floral scents and vivid, jammy blackberry and black-pepper flavors highlight this full-bodied, full-on fruity wine as...
12 FREE
WE
93
JS
92
Red
375ml
Bottle: $19.94
12 bottles: $19.54
Enticing strawberry and red-plum aromas lead to a combination of wild berry, oak leaves and cranberry flavors on a...
WE
94
JS
92
Sale
Red
375ml
Bottle: $12.48 $13.87
12 bottles: $11.94
The grapes for our Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel come from several different vineyards within the Lodi...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.73
12 bottles: $13.99
Dark, brooding and spicy, the 2019 Primitivo di Manduria lifts up with notes of crushed rocks, cardamom and black...
VM
89
JS
88
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.80
Dark ruby red, with garnet hues. It opens with notes of ripe blackberry and raspberry, followed by intense aromas of...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $38.39
6 bottles: $37.60
Coming from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, the 2019 Zinfandel Cortina is a rocking Zinfandel that plays in the more...
12 FREE
WS
93
JD
93
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.90
A heady dose of sweet spices grace the nose, with baked black-cherry and plum tones at the core. This is ultrasoft...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $35.68
The signature briary, black-peppery characteristics of the variety feature in this medium- to full-bodied wine in the...
WE
92

Brandy Primitivo Zinfandel 2019

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.