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Sunday, March 3, 2019

Wine Review: Masseria Altemura Sasseo Primitivo Salento 2015


In the 4th century B.C., the history of Masseria Altemura began with the construction of the Santa Susana Tower. Masseria Altemura, similar to other masserias, was a fortified farmhouse in Puglia that served the purpose of protecting the land and its resources from foreign invaders. In 2000, the Zonin family acquired the property and restored it to its original splendor. The family has gone to great lengths to preserve the estate's underground river, century old olive groves and the region's winemaking traditions for future generations. - ZoninUSA.com

Puglia is the heel of the boot, and Masserea Altemura is smack-dab right in the middle of the high heel. On reddish soil with chunks of limestone and at 230 feet above sea level, their 370 acres of vineyards enjoy a Maritime climate with warm days, cool nights, and northerly winds.

The 2015 Sasseo is 100% Primitivo. Grapes are crushed using the "spietramento" technique, then fermented for 14 days at a controlled 77°F to 82°F. Then it spends a whole year in 6,000 liter Slavonian barrels before it sees 3 months of bottle aging. The final ABV is 14.5%.

The wine is a dark ruby red. On the nose there's aromas of prunes, espresso, caramel, spice box, and anise. It's full bodied on the palate with sweet but dusty tannins and a bit of a tart acidity. For flavors it's a mouthful of prunes with raspberries, chocolate, espresso, and caramel. Then it finishes with raspberries,  caramel, and smokiness.

You already know that Zinfandel/Primitivo is not my thing at all. But even though I'm not a fan of this wine personally, I know enough to know that this is a good Primitivo for people who like Primitivo. For me it's a 2 for "Not Impressive", but for Primitivo fans I would give it a 4 for "Recommended". I'll compromise with the final score.

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $19
Rating: 3/5 = Satisfying (what does that mean?)

The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.

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