Synopsis, Our Opinion: EXCELLENT Primitivo (Zinfandel) at this price point.
Producer/Winery: Lisa Gilbee and her husband Gaetano Morella; Azienda Agricola Morella; Manduria, Italy.
Grape Variety: Primitivo (Zenfandel) blend.
Geographic Appellation,, Region, Country: Puglia, Italy.
Vintage: 2016
Price: $21.00
Purchased From: DB Sutton and Co. Wine Shop; Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Paired With: Venison stir fry.
Tasting:
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Opened 90-minutes before drinking. Clear, ruby color with a light purple rim. Very light cherry with hints of damp earth and licorice aromas. Smooth entry, dry, heavy side of a medium body and 150-grit texture. Powerful sweet cherry flavor, brisk acidity and very soft (almost non-existent) tannins. Than an explosive bitter finish that’s loaded with dark chocolate, cherry and gradually forming tannins that have just the slightest grip. The finish goes on and on and only ends after a very long cherry tasting aftertaste that reminds us of Cherry Hearing locure. Clearly this wasn’t as good as the other Morella Primitivo wines that cost twice the price of this bottle. However, compared to domestic (California) Zinfandel at the $20 price point this Morella Mezzanotte is easily as good or better and not nearly as rustic. We called it EXCELLENT Primitivo (Zinfandel) at this price point.
Photo from La Repubblica.
See also, all our reviews of Morella wines.
Alcohol Content: 14%
Closure: Natural cork.
UPC Code: 0 24606 36374 1
Imported by: Piedmont Wine Imports; Durham, North Carolina.