Colour: intense yellow.
Scent: fascinating and intriguing, it slowly unveils the scents of its fragrance. Elder-flower scents with citrus hints alternate to musk and almond aromas. Floral fragrances gradually give way to a fruity, undergrowth aroma.
Taste: rich and soft on the palate at ‑first, it persistently develops while sipping to end in a fresh acidic and flavorful taste.
Training system: Guyot.
Average age of vines: Primo d'Anfora is the result of a careful selection of the "Vigna Vecchia" grapes. This is the name of the grapevine that surrounds the wine cellar which is 45 years old.
Harvest time: September.
Production: 6.000 Kg per hectare.
Harvest: hand picked.
Winemaking notes: Grechetto, Drupeggio and Malvasia grapes arrive from the vineyards perfectly intact and selected. Before fermentation they are submitted to
a cold maceration process in inert atmosphere conditions. Following the debourbage and the adjustment of the ‑fine lees, the must ferments in small amphorae of 500 litres.
Ageing: Primo d'Anfora ages for 8-9 months in terra-cotta amphorae. During this time regular batonnages are carried out on the noble fermentation lees. The slow evolution in amphorae guarantees wine stabilization and the best aromatic expression. At the end of the ageing process, the wine is prepared for bottling. A 5 month rest in glass completes the work.
Pairings: this wine perfectly matches re‑fined ‑sh-based cuisines. Primo d'Anfora is also versatile in its elegance, it amazes also in the combination with white meats and game.
Curiosity: the name Primo d'Anfora derives from its particular process of winemaking and ageing. It represents the ‑first (i.e. Primo) wine from Argillae cellar to be
entirely fermented and re‑fined in terra-cotta amphorae.The terra-cotta amphorae constitute an extraordinary material for the fermentation and ageing of wines. Indeed, terra-cotta presents features that situates it between steel and wood. Similar to steel tanks, the terra-cotta amphorae have the advantage of adding nothing to the wine (no tertiary aromas), fully enhancing its maximum expression. Similar to wooden barrels, instead, the amphorae present a certain level of porosity thus creating an exchange with the external environment. In this way, they guarantee a delicate but constant oxygenation. It is through this new and fascinating project that the company intends to rescue this ancient Etruscan tradition of terra-cotta fermentation combined with innovative technologies. However, the object is not only the one to bring back to life ancient vini‑cation processes. Clay is the main component of the farm's grounds. It ‑first gives nutriments and strength to the grapevines and then it becomes the container of the wine which is guarded for a long time. The circle is then perfectly closed, "everything begins with earth and it returns to earth". So it is for this extraordinary wine, fruit of the union of local grapes: Grechetto, Drupeggio and Malvasia. They are born from clay grounds and return to clay amphorae to rest in the shape of wine.
🏅 Vintage 2017 Vinous 93 points
A pretty and nuanced display of peach skins, yellow flowers, incense, raw honey and crushed almonds lifts up from the 2017 Primo d'Anfora. There are depths of silky textures, all complemented by ripe apple and pear, along with exotic inner florals and a stimulating core of acidity that pulls it all together. Hints of ginger linger long under an enriching air of lemon custard. What a fun yet balanced and characterful expression! The Primo d'Anfora is an old-vines selection of 60% Grechetto, 20% Drupeggio and 20% Malvasia that spends nine months refining in 500-liter terra-cotta amphorae.
