San Marzano's old-vine Primitivo, aged 18 months in French and American oak. Ripe plum and cherry jam, tobacco and sweet spice lead to cocoa, coffee and vanilla on a full, soft-tannined finish. A 14.5% Puglia riserva for red meat and game.
Cantine San Marzano builds this Primitivo from slightly overripe old-vine fruit, then ages it 18 months in French and American oak. Expect ripe plum, cherry jam and tobacco lifting to cocoa, coffee and vanilla.
The nose is ripe and open: prune and cherry jam to the fore, with tobacco leaf and a dusting of sweet spice the way Cantine San Marzano describes it. Eighteen months in French and American oak push vanilla and cocoa underneath. Vivino drinkers most often log oak, plum and blackberry, which tracks with the slightly overripe Primitivo fruit.
Coffee
Cherry
Plum
Prune
Tobacco
Leather
Black pepper
Vanilla
CocoaFull-bodied and soft, with the fine, ripe tannins the producer flags rather than grip. At 14.5% the fruit is dense, plum and dried-fig sweet, carried on the low-to-moderate acidity typical of Primitivo from San Marzano and Sava. Malolactic in steel before barrique rounds the texture, and the warm Salento ripeness leaves a faintly jammy core.
The finish is long and oak-framed, closing on cocoa, coffee and vanilla. It is a sweet-edged, barrique-led close rather than a savoury, mineral one.
This is San Marzano's premium Primitivo Riserva, an opulent fruit-and-oak style that Vivino rates 4.4 across more than 31,000 ratings and that Luca Maroni has named Italy's best red. Drink it now to 2032 with rich meat; lovers of lean, savoury reds may find it too ripe and sweet.
Two vintages are live here, from about 27.58 pounds. The 2019 is the stronger release, carrying Luca Maroni 98/99 and James Suckling 91 points.
An approachable, oak-rich Primitivo that scores high for celebration and easy drinking, and fair on value against Primitivo di Manduria peers.
A premium Primitivo di Manduria Riserva named Italy's best red by Luca Maroni and scored 91 by James Suckling: a confident gift and celebration bottle.
Ripe, soft and sweetly oaked, an easy first step into indigenous Primitivo; Vivino 4.4 across 31,000-plus ratings shows broad approachability.
Full-bodied, ripe Primitivo at 14.5% with soft tannins and gentle acidity: outstanding with rich meat and ragu, less flexible with delicate or acidic dishes.
Eighteen months in French and American oak and 14.5% ripe fruit give it the frame to hold; the 2019 keeps to around 2032 but is built to drink relatively young.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Primitivo di Manduria denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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Both are warm, ripe Salento vintages at 14.5%. The 2019 is the top-rated year for this riserva on Vivino; the 2020 is a touch softer and more forward.
Another warm Salento year, a touch softer and more forward than the 2019. Ripe plum and oak-sweet spice at 14.5%, ready on release and holding into the early 2030s.
A warm, balanced Salento vintage and the top-rated year for this riserva on Vivino. It carries Luca Maroni 98/99 and James Suckling 91 points; ripe and full at 14.5%, drinking well now through the late 2020s.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Named for San Marzano's 1962 founding, this riserva has been Luca Maroni's first Best Red Wine of Italy across several editions, grown on old vines at San Marzano and Sava on iron-rich loam over limestone.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Primitivo di Manduria is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Primitivo di Manduria falls within Apulia , covering Apulia.
Cantine San Marzano selects old vines on iron-rich loam over limestone and harvests late for concentration, cutting yields and lifting cost well above an entry Primitivo.
Malolactic in steel then 18 months in barrique ties up cellar space and barrels for over a year before release, a clear step up from tank-aged Primitivo.
Luca Maroni's repeated Best Red Wine of Italy and James Suckling 91 points pull the 62 Riserva above the 24.51 pound median we see across live Primitivo di Manduria listings.
At 14.5% the still-wine duty of 2.67 pounds a bottle plus 20% VAT accounts for roughly 7 pounds of the 27.58 pound shelf price before the retailer's margin.
San Marzano is a large grower cooperative founded in 1962, and that shared scale keeps the 62 Riserva cheaper than a single-estate Primitivo of the same ambition.
Salento land and Primitivo fruit cost far less than Barolo or Brunello vineyards, so even this riserva lands under 30 pounds where comparable northern riservas start higher.
Dishes that complement this wine
The producer points to savoury first courses, red meat and game. The wine's 14.5% body and soft, fine tannins handle fat, char and slow-cooked ragu.
Primitivo's ripe 14.5% body and soft, fine tannins cut through the fat and protein of grilled and slow-braised beef. The 18-month oak echoes the char and marrow-rich sauce, while the sweet dark fruit keeps the match generous.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Sunday Roast Beef · More pairings →
The wine grew up beside these dishes in Puglia and Basilicata. Its full body and ripe tannins match the richness of lamb and mutton, while warm fruit and sweet spice flatter the herbs and tomato in a lamb ragu.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · Spezzatino di pecora · Agnello Cacio e Ova · More pairings →
The prune and cherry-jam fruit and barrique spice bridge to a long-cooked ragu, mirroring its sweetness and depth. Acidity is gentle, so the match leans on the tomato's own brightness to keep baked pasta fresh.
Try with: Lasagna · Agnello Ragu Lucano · Ossobuco alla Milanese · More pairings →
Ripe fruit and 14.5% alcohol balance the salt and fat of a mature Pecorino, while the wine's soft tannins keep the pairing from turning bitter. Cocoa and coffee notes pick up the cheese's nutty, savoury edge.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Cheese board
The producer recommends game, and the wine's dark, dried-fruit depth stands up to the iron and gaminess of venison or pheasant. Sweet oak softens the edges where a leaner red would taste austere.
Try with: Venison Stew · Roast Pheasant · Roast Duck · More pairings →
At 14.5% with ripe tannins and sweet oak, this Primitivo flattens delicate raw fish and amplifies chilli burn, so the heat reads hotter and the fruit turns confected. Keep it away from sushi, oysters and the hottest curries.
Skip with: Sushi · Oysters · Lamb biryani · Sweet and sour pork · Pairing guide →
Eighteen months in barrique and ripe 14.5% fruit give this Primitivo the frame to hold. The 2019 drinks well now and keeps to around 2032.
Peak around 2027. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Eighteen months in French and American oak and 14.5% ripe fruit give it the frame to hold; the 2019 keeps to around 2032 but is built to drink relatively young.
£27.58 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
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Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is a full-bodied southern Italian red with ripe plum and cherry-jam fruit, tobacco and sweet spice, and a long finish of cocoa, coffee and vanilla from 18 months in French and American oak.
Yes. It is the Riserva tier of Primitivo di Manduria DOP, made by Cantine San Marzano from old vines at San Marzano and Sava and held 18 months in barrique before release.
Rich red meat and game. Pour it with Brasato al Barolo, Fiorentina steak, Agnello Ragu Lucano or aged Pecorino; its 14.5% body and fine tannins handle the fat and char.
14.5% by volume. The wine is made from slightly overripe Primitivo, which gives its ripe, warming, fruit-forward style.
It drinks well on release and the 2019 holds comfortably to around 2032. The oak and fine tannins keep it fresh, so there is no need to wait, though a few years adds savoury depth.
The 2019 and 2020 are listed, from around 27.58 pounds. The 2019 is a particularly strong year for this riserva, with Luca Maroni 98/99 and James Suckling 91 points.
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