Press

• Score: 90 Vintage 2022 Vinous The 2022 Primitivo di Manduria Villa Santera comes across dark and rich, with mocha, crushed black cherries, camphor and hints of brown spice. Nearly velvety in feel yet energetic, its ripe wild berry fruits and mineral tones swirl across the palate. The 2022 finishes long and gently tannic with a forgivable tinge of heat. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 90 Vintage 2022 Wine Spectator Black cherry and damson plum fruit flavors are both ripe and fresh, with a nice balance reflected in the play of sweet hints of vanilla, chocolate and licorice, plus savory notes of cured tobacco, iron and earth. Medium-bodied, offering lively acidity and a well-defined frame of taut, fine tannins Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 90 Vintage 2022 James Suckling Heady ripe raspberries and dried purple flowers on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with juicy fruit and light tannins. Lingering, intense fruit-cream finish. A suggestion of heat just at the end, but the persistent fruit deals with this. Drink now. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 90 Vintage 2021 James Suckling Rich strawberries and spices to the nose with a fine twist of prunes. Medium body with juicy berries and plums rounded by some nicely chewy tannins. Good generosity to the palate, showing some sweet-sour fruit in a positive, discreet manner. Drink now. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 88 Vintage 2021 Wine Enthusiast The nose balances sweet aromas of vanilla and raspberry with savory notes of soil and pepper. On the palate, strawberries and blackberries join the raspberries, while a more powerful blaze of pepper brings more spice and earthiness. Acid cavorts around firm tannins. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 90 Vintage 2020 Wine Enthusiast A mix of fresh and dried blackberry and dark cherry tones is standard for Primitivo di Manduria, with heady doses of anise, orange and crushed herbs lending depth. The medium-bodied palate shows plush fruit tones matched by a firm grip of velvety tannins and fresh acidity for lasting support. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 88 Vintage 2020 Vinous Media An herbal blend of sour cherries and dried orange peels wafts up from the 2020 Primitivo di Manduria Villa Santera. It’s silky smooth with a pleasant inner sweetness balanced by zesty acidity and tart red fruits. This finishes with grip yet leaves the mouth watering for more. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 91 Vintage 2019 Wine Enthusiast This luscious red delivers dense cherry jam and black raspberry tones all wrapped in a framing of toasted fennel seed and sweet licorice. It’s soft, silky and sultry on the medium-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and bright, lasting acidity to lend structure and length to all the fruit and spice tones Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 91 Vintage 2018 James Suckling A fragrant and pretty take on primitivo with dried lavender and violets highlighting a backdrop of dried blackberries and dried oranges. There’s a punch of powerful, ripe tannins to puncture the ripe forest fruit and drive home this full-bodied yet balanced red to a chewy finish. Drink from 2021.j Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 89 Vintage 2018 Vinous Media The 2018 Primitivo Villa Santera opens up with musky black cherries and raspberries complemented by white smoke and hints of clove. It’s silky-smooth, almost creamy in feel, lifted by brisk acids, with ripe black fruits offset by savory herbal tones. Notes of mocha and sweet violet florals linger as this tapers off fresh and medium-long. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 89 Vintage 2017 Wine Enthusiast Aromas of crushed gravel, toasted spice, chocolate and cherry jam display very good depth on the nose. There's levity to the medium-bodied palate, with tangy acidity pushing through the rich blue fruit and red fruit flavors. The tannins are fine and supportive, yet play second fiddle to the vivacious acidity. ALEXANDER PEARTREE Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 87 Vintage 2017 Wine Advocate I am surprised this vintage is so light on its feet. The Leone de Castris 2017 Primitivo di Manduria Villa Santera, with a solid 14.5% alcohol content, shows snappy freshness nonetheless, which feels right at home in such a mid-weight style. Six months in large oak casks lend notes of smoke, tar and spice. A terrific value wine, you might pair it with an onion calzone. Some 290,000 bottle are made each year. Shelf Talker Full Page Review