Primitivo del Salento "Pezza della Chiesa" Vinicola Cicella

The Primitivo del Salento dolce naturale "Pezza dalla Chiesa" is a red wine of great character, a delicious traditional speciality of the Vinicola Cicella winery, made from late-harvested, selected grapes dried on the vine and sourced from the oldest vineyards on the estate. “Pezza dalla Chiesa” is an unmistakable and true expression of the grape, revealing the full potential that can be achieved through drying. On the nose it offers a rich bouquet of fragrant, very ripe black fruit with hints of jam. On the palate it reveals all its warmth, like the land it comes from: a harmonious and seductive experience, and its slight sweetness makes it smooth and easy to drink.  
The Primitivo bunches come from the estate’s oldest vineyards, with some vines over 60 years old, bush-trained (alberello), a form typical of the Puglia region. The plots face north, so they are cooler and receive fewer hours of sunshine during the day; the soil is medium-textured, containing sand, silt and clay in varying proportions. The grapes are harvested late, so as to achieve a degree of drying on the vine and a higher sugar content in the berries. 
In the winery, the grapes are first destemmed, a process that separates the stalks from the berries, and alcoholic fermentation then follows in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, with the must left to macerate on the skins throughout the process. Drying causes a high concentration of sugars in the berries, which prevents the yeasts from converting them all into alcohol, leaving a small portion unchanged and unfermented. The result is a wine with a pleasant natural residual sweetness, which is then aged for 12 months in Apulian terracotta jars called “Capasoni”, vessels used since ancient times and still in use today, which help keep the temperature of the wine constant. 
The Primitivo del Salento “Pezza dalla Chiesa” has an intense, vibrant red colour enriched by violet hues that enhance its depth; the palate is structured and complex, yet at the same time very soft and full-bodied, easy to drink, and coats the mouth with elegance. On the nose it shows notes of ripe fruit, black cherry and a hint of cedar on the finish, inviting another sip.
We recommend pairing it with hearty pasta dishes, meat main courses and aged cheeses; it is also delightful alongside dry pastries.