2020 Gianfranco Fino Primitivo di Manduria Es Magnum

The Michelin guide to restaurants, the Vini d'Italia from publisher Gambero Rosso for the best Italian wines. Recently, the latest edition was published, which judges on the basis of the quality of the wine and its continuity over the years. Michelin gives stars, the Gambero gives glasses. Tre Bicchieri (3 glasses) is the ultimate rating. The guide is 1,000 pages thick, rated 2,350 producers and over 10,000 wines. However, this guide remains the most important reviewer of wines in Italy and the wines of Gianfranco Fino have been voted the absolute number 1. Also in the June/July edition of Winelife, 2 pages are devoted to the great wines of Gianfranco.

Gianfranco Fino started this domain in 2004 when he bought a 50-year-old vineyard Primitivo. Despite its recent start, the domain is already a reference point in the region. The wines already have a cult following among wine journalists and aficionados. Extreme quality. 100% Primitive. Micro production of 7000 bottles. Magnum 1.5 liter bottle in wooden box.

An absurdly low yield makes for an unprecedented wine from the Primitivo grape. The primitivo grapes for the Gianfranco Es come from a very small vineyard, but what makes it completely unique (and thus also explains the price) is that on average only 200 grams of grapes are harvested per vine . So by aggressive pruning only a few bunches are kept on the vine, but they also get all the food that the old vines bring up from deep in the ground. The wine is grown according to biodynamic principles.

For the Gianfranco Es, the grapes are allowed to wither for some time on the plant. This process is called Appassimento and Gianfranco is the absolute reference for good Appassimento wines (full, beautiful fruit but also with fresh acidity). When the time is right, the withered grapes are harvested by hand in plastic boxes with careful selection of the bunches and these are transported in refrigerated truck. In the winery, the 2nd strict selection takes place after which the wine is very lightly pressed and fermentation/maceration takes place in 600 liter oak barrels for more than two weeks (temperature controlled with a max T. 23-25 ° C). The wine is then aged for about 10 months in new French oak. The wine is bottled without the use of fining agents and without filtering and then remains in the bottle for a minimum of 6 months before being released.

The Gianfranco Es has a gigantic concentration with an unimaginably fresh acid structure. Perfectly balanced. This is without a doubt the best Primitivo on the market. Brilliant

Juckling ends his rating with: "Facinating" 92/100 James Suckling. See the various (high) assessment of this iconic wine under the Appendix tab