Gianfranco Fino : Salento Primitivo "Es" 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes for Gianfranco Fino's Salento 2023

Tasting notes

Colour
The wine displays a rich ruby red colour, enhanced by distinct violet hues.

Nose
Wonderfully complex, the bouquet first reveals spicy aromas of cedar wood and ripe plum. It then evolves towards secondary notes of dried violet and subtle touches of liquorice.

Palate
Both enveloping and powerful, the palate reveals present yet perfectly polished tannins. The balance between structure and sweetness is remarkable, leading to an endless finish carried by flavours of black berries and fine spices.

Food and wine pairing

This red wine from Italy pairs wonderfully with high-temperature cooked meats, such as a fine grilled beef cut or venison. It also enhances slow-cooked meats, such as braised beef short ribs. As for cheeses, it ideally accompanies aged pastas like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Toscano, aged gouda, or even a mild Gorgonzola.

Service and storage

Thanks to its well-defined tannic structure, this 2023 vintage possesses excellent aging potential, allowing it to evolve favourably in the bottle.

The authentic expression of Puglia's terroir by Gianfranco Fino

The estate

Founded in 2004 by agronomist Gianfranco Fino and his wife Simona, the estate is located in Manduria, in the Puglia region. Starting with a small plot, the current owners have raised the estate to the pinnacle of Italian winemaking. Driven by a quest for elegance and territorial identity, the estate rejects commercial standards in favour of the authentic expression of terroir. Now globally recognized, Gianfranco Fino was notably named winemaker of the year by Gambero Rosso, confirming the exceptional potential of southern Italian wines.

The vineyard

Located on the Salento peninsula, the vineyard benefits from a hot, dry Mediterranean climate, tempered by sea breezes from the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. The vines, cultivated according to organic and biodynamic principles, thrive on red clay-limestone soils rich in iron oxide. Trained in the traditional gobelet method, these very old vines produce extremely low yields, guaranteeing optimal grape concentration. Work here is essentially manual, sometimes aided by animal traction.

The vintage

The year 2023 was particularly demanding for winegrowers in southern Italy. The growing cycle was marked by frequent rainfall and significant hailstorms, leading to strong downy mildew pressure. These unstable weather conditions required great responsiveness in canopy management and quick decision-making to determine the ideal harvest date in the face of climatic challenges.

Winemaking and aging

To preserve the integrity of the fruit, harvesting is done manually early in the morning. The clusters, rigorously selected, are transported in refrigerated trucks. Destemming is deliberately delayed until the afternoon to allow the berries to cool, thus promoting temperature-controlled maceration. After very gentle crushing to avoid breaking the seeds, the wine undergoes nine months of aging in French oak barrels, giving it its aromatic complexity.

Grape variety

100% Primitivo.