Tasting Wines from Puglia: From Our Glass to Yours

Primativo "Teres", Fatalone 2013
$12.96 - Astor Wines
This wine really surprised us... you see, we've never had a bad Primativo--yet. We were in for a surprise. The nose seemed a bit fruity but strongly acidic. The color was pale, but the taste was the real shocker... this wine was so acidic I couldn't drink it. I had half a glass to try a discern flavors, but the uncomfortable vinegar-like taste was a real turn-off. Astor Wines & Spirits suggests it's best chilled... sure, perhaps it wouldn't taste as bad if you numb some of your taste buds.  Sorry, but for this bottle, 13 bucks was a real waste. I've had better 5 dollar bottles. It's the first bottle of wine we didn't finish in the last 5 years or so. I wouldn't have even wanted to toss it into a jug to make vinegar. No, grazie!

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Primativo Riserva, Fatalone 2007
$21.96 - Astor Wines
Ok... the last Fatalone surprised us in a very bad way. Now, this Fatalone is another story altogether. First of all, as we poured it into the glass, Lisa and I both noticed the strong scent of vanilla. I also thought there was cinnamon, cherries and something earthy... like when you walk through a dense forest. This wine is aged in oak for 30 months before bottling. This wine can take extreme aging--20 years, they say. As an 11 year old bottle , I thought it was one of the finest wines I've ever had. At 22 dollars, it's more expensive than I typically like to pay... at my upper limits. This is what a wine should taste like when paying a premium price. Lisa loved it so much she is trying to convince me to invest a case.  

--Jerry Finzi