Feudo Croce Imperio LXXIV Primitivo di Manduria 2019

Crafted in the sun-drenched, maritime heart of Salento in Puglia, Southern Italy, Feudo Croce "Imperio LXXIV" Primitivo di Manduria 2019 is an opulent, deeply concentrated red wine that pays homage to the historical legacy of the region—commemorating 1974, the year Primitivo di Manduria achieved official DOC recognition. Produced by the historic Tinazzi family at their Feudo Croce estate in Carosino, this flagship cuvée is sourced exclusively from low-yielding old bush vines (alberello) rooted in terra rossa—iron-rich red clay and calcareous limestone soils. Benefiting from intense Mediterranean sunlight tempered by cool coastal breezes blowing off the Ionian Sea, the grapes achieve exceptional phenolic maturity and high natural sugar concentration. Following careful hand-harvesting, the wine undergoes traditional fermentation with extended skin contact, followed by 8 to 12 months of maturation in French and American oak barrels. The result is a luxurious, velvet-textured red wine that showcases the incredible warmth, depth, and spicy concentration of benchmark Puglian Primitivo.

Food Pairing: Slow-cooked beef short ribs, grilled ribeye steak, braised lamb shanks, wild boar ragù, barbecued pork belly, and sharp aged cheeses like Pecorino Pugliese or Caciocavallo.

90 Points - Wine Enthusiast

This dense, rich Primitivo delivers a deep well of blackberry and dark cherry jam flavors studded with heady doses of crushed black pepper and toasted anise. The luxurious mouthfeel is matched by all the jammy fruit and warm spice tones, making it a hedonistic delight. Alexander Peartree