Review: Cantine Due Palme "Pillastro" Primitivo Puglia IGP (2022)

Sometimes, in the midst of all the tasting and study that is my new wine life, I just want to drink something liquid and red.

I keep a modest stash of bottles just for this purpose. Sangria wines, pasta-night wines–wines you drink with your mouth and not your nose.

“Please don’t be gross,” I whisper to the bottle as I mangle the foil and shred the cork. “But not too interesting either…I don’t feel like taking a long-ass tasting note.”

Happily, tonight’s Primitivo was able to fulfill both wishes. I acquired the bottle as part of last year’s WSJ Wine Club Italian wine haul.

The wine comes from Cantine Due Palme, one of the most influential cooperatives in Southern Italy. Entirely drinkable–but not dissertation-worthy–it delivers full-bodied, plummy flavors along with plenty of booze.

In the glass, it’s deep ruby with a slight brick-ish haze at the rim. Assertive aromas of blackberry, red and black plum, toasted bark, and peppercorn with some light earthy/sulfur notes.

The flavors are smooth and fruit-focused with cherry yogurt, plum brandy, and black fruits with soft medium tannins. It’s a moderate, fresher style of Primitivo with balanced heat (13.5%) and barely detectable residual sugar. An uncomplicated finish with Bing cherry, iron, and wet tobacco leaf.

Primitivo is the same grape as Zinfandel, a variety that was in vogue when I first discovered wine as a teenager. Tasting these rich jammy reds, with their dialed-up alcohol and a touch of sweetness, takes me back to a simpler time. A time when a bottle of Zin was an illicit treat. A time when the objective of drinking was pure enjoyment with zero analysis. This is not the kind of wine that inspires poetry–but it just might inspire you to pour another glass.

Bottle: Cantine Due Palme “Pillastro” Primitivo Puglia IGP (2022) – Italy

Variety: Primitivo

ABV: 13.5%

Suggested retail: $13.99

My rating: 8.1 (out of 10)

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.