San Marzano Anniversario 62 Primitivo di Manduria DOP Riserva 2019

In case you haven’t come across this producer before, Puglian-based San Marzano has built its reputation on richly concentrated, deeply expressive wines.

Working with old, gnarled bush vines across multiple vineyards, San Marzano crafts some of the weightiest and most generous red wines in Italy.

Named Italian Producer of the Year at the 2019 Melbourne International Wine Competition, San Marzano is a bit like the Puglian Penfolds - just with less oaky Shiraz and more spicy Primitivo.

Founded in 1962 by a group of 19 winemakers, Cantine San Marzano was established to show the world the potential of Salento, the sun-soaked peninsula between the Ionian and Adriatic seas.

And the San Marzano Anniversario 62 DOP Riserva 2019 celebrates that founding year in serious style.

Made from Primitivo grown on 60-year-old bush vines in Manduria, this is the estate’s flagship wine. You may know Primitivo by its other name - Zinfandel - a grape that found fame in America, but has its roots firmly planted in Southern Italy.

This is full-bodied and generous, with dark berries, spice and a touch of cola coming through. But what sets it apart is the balance. For all its richness, there’s polish, freshness and control here.

As one of our sommeliers put it, this is the kind of wine that flies under the radar - which is exactly why the pricing still makes sense.

The wine is aged for 18 months in French and American oak barriques, adding structure and support to the natural richness of the fruit. It’s complex and intense, with softly padded tannins, impressive concentration and a long, persistent finish.

No wonder it scored 98 points from esteemed Italian wine critic Luca Maroni.

This is a mighty wine, that’s for sure - a red of real stature, and one that has cemented itself as one of Southern Italy’s finest.

Stocks are limited.