Radici del Sud Press Tour Day 2
Day 2 for the Radici del Sud press tour dawned early after a late night return from Giovanni Aiello. We woke up to remnants of rain from the evening before which pushed back our departure time for our morning winery tour. Only one winery appeared on our schedule for today, but one is enough when we’re learning about Primitivo from Fatalone.
Fatalone and Primitivo
If Primitivo is king in Puglia, Fatalone is the power behind the throne. This small, historic, family winery got its start when Petrera Nicola built his winery in Gioia del Colle. He chose to plant on a hill called Spinomarino, known for its lofty, well-aired, and sunny position. The perfect place for Primitivo. Five generations later, in 1988, inside the little cellar dug out of the bedrock, the first bottle of Fatalone Primitivo DOC Gioia del Colle (vintage 1987*) was born.
The Petrera family has always practiced organic farming. Respecting nature is, to them, a way of life, not just a trend. In 2000, the winery received certifications from both the Institute for Ecology and Ethics Certification (I.C.E.A) also in accordance with the standards of the American National Organic Program (N.O.P.). In 2007, they went a step further into 100% environmental sustainability by building a photovoltaic system to take advantage of solar power. Since then, the winery has made all its wines with zero CO2 emission.
You may be wondering what ‘Fatalone’ means and how the winery got its name. It originated with Nicola’s son Filippo whose nickname was Il Fatalone which means “lady killer.” Filippo went on to live to 98. His key to longevity seems to involve breakfasting with half a liter each of Primitivo and milk!
*1987 was the establishment of the Gioia del Colle DOC
Music Therapy for Wine
Fatalone has an unusual ageing process for its wines. Something I’ve only encountered at a handful of wineries anywhere. They play music in the cellar. But before we get there, let’s talk about how they make the Primitivo wines.
Grapes are destemmed and gently crushed before the must and skins begin a slow temperature-controlled spontaneous fermentation with only native yeasts and without addition of sulphites. During the first 48 hours, they frequently pump over the pumice to keep the skins submerged. During the main fermentation, the Primitivo is kept in contact with the skins for 10 days. After this phase, all the must is drawn out to complete its slow final fermentation in temperature-controlled tanks. Meanwhile, the skins are extracted and gently pressed to get the remaining juice. Several rounds of racking take place to remove the wine from the gross lees, one before fermentation is complete, then several more over the next few months. Malolactic fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks before the wine is moved to large Slavonian casks to age.
The Fatalone cellar is dug deep into the earth. They’ve left the walls bare allowing one to see the passage of geologic eras. Here the 750 liter barrels rest, allowing the wine to round and smooth out without imposing an oaky character over Primitivo’s natural flavors. It is during this period that the music comes into play.
“The sign of our extreme devotion to our wine is made perfectly clear by the application of music therapy, through the diffusion, at different times during the day, of soft new age and classical music enriched with sounds of Nature (wind, rain, leaves movement, water flowing and chirping of birds), based on the idea that those soft vibrations improve the activity of the micro flora present in the wine and support its breathing when in casks.”
And finally, the wines!
We got to taste a number of wines at Fatalone including:
- Greco 2021 (they make more than Primitivo)
- Primitivo Rosato 2021 (a rosé built to last 12 or more years!)
- Primitivo 2021 (tank sample)
- Riserva 2019
- Riserva 2018
- Riserva 2005
- Riserva 2000
- Riserva 1995
A fantastic experience. So privileged to learn about Primitivo from such an historic estate. Hopefully the visit will help solidify info about the grape and DOC in my mind in time for the IWS exam!