La Masseria Del Borgo Primitivo di Manduria

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12 December 2025

This wine has been a long-time favourite of mine, though my feelings about it have moved up and down over the years as the wine changed over the vintages.

It comes from Puglia in southern Italy. The Primitivo grape shows different characteristics depending on where it is grown, and there are clear distinctions between the key Primitivo DOC areas of Manduria, Gioia del Colle and Salento. Among these, Manduria stands out as the top DOC for Primitivo, known for producing wines that are usually bold, generous in structure and often higher in alcohol. This particular wine enjoys a strong 4.2 rating on Vivino.

The 2021 vintage I first reviewed delivered great deep flavours of ripe dark berries, especially blackcurrants and black cherries, with a lasting, rewarding finish. The 2022 version lacked some of that vibrancy, had slightly more tannic structure but was less generous with its fruit. The 2023 vintage marked a step back in the right direction because, after airing for two days, it came very close to recapturing the experience I had with the 2021 bottle.

Now, we have the 2024 vintage to try. It pours a deep ruby-purple. The aroma offers blackberry, black cherry and fig. On the tongue, it’s full of lush dark fruit, supported by a full mouthfeel and very gentle tannins. I think we are back to the 2021 vintage quality!

Be warned that this wine is at the extreme end of ‘rich’, almost getting on for Tawny Port-like, which is why I like it. Nevertheless, it isn’t technically sweet because it was at the border of dry and off-dry when I measured with a hydrometer. The fruit, slight oak and alcohol are mainly what cause it to appear sweet.

Something to consider is that the 2021 vintage did not age well after purchase. A few of the 2021 vintage bottles I, perhaps too eagerly, stored lost their initial charm and depth over the course of a year. So, if you’re thinking of buying this wine, it’s best enjoyed shortly after purchase.

You can find it at Sainsbury’s and, since August 2024, has also been available from Tesco. Priced around £13, it’s a more expensive supermarket offering but is sometimes discounted to around £11 and sometimes even further with 25% off multi-buy promotions.

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