2022 Primitivo

The 2022 Primitivo from Pelletiere Estate is a bold and expressive reflection of both site and season. Following a second consecutive dry winter and an accelerated ripening period brought on by an early September heatwave, this vintage shows the power, density, and seductive charm that Primitivo can deliver when grown in the rugged hills of the Willow Creek District.

In the glass, the wine is a deep ruby-purple, with lifted aromatics of blackberry preserves, fig compote, and ripe black cherry, underpinned by notes of dried rose petal, allspice, and a touch of cracked white pepper.

On the palate, the wine is plush and concentrated, offering layers of dark raspberry, brambly plum, and clove, framed by polished tannins and the hallmark natural acidity of the estate’s hillside fruit. There’s a grounded, earthy quality here too—hints of cedar, dried herbs, and tilled soil—that gives the wine added depth and dimension.

Thanks to low-intervention vinification and eighteen months in large neutral puncheons, the purity of fruit shines through, with just enough structure to support 5–7 years of graceful aging.

That said, it’s drinking beautifully now. Why wait?