I met Emanuela Gianfreda at the Slow Wine World Tour at Eataly last month. She is fifth generation and along with her sister Dalila, they are Antica Masseria Jorche. While Dalila runs the business side, Emanuela followed the path of her father is the enologist behind the wines.
Located in Salento, which is the heal of the boot in the southern end of Apulia, Italy the area has a dry climate with beautiful sea breezes that allows the grapes to mature nicely with not alot of human intervention. The vineyards vines that are about 40 years old.
The vineyard is home to a “trullo.” Way back when the workers were in the vineyard they gathered the stones and built themselves a house. This house is used for them to rest. They are found in the vineyards in the region
Recently they built a new modern winery and planted six hectares around it. The new winery has an underground cellar where they age the Primitivo in big barrels and barriques.
While their main grape and wine is Primitivo, they also grow Negramaro, Bianco d’Alessano and Fiano.
Emanuela led me through a tasting of her Primitivo wines from new, young wines to old and mature wines. Here are my notes from the wine and I hope you listen to the podcast to hear her so passionately talk about her winery.
Antica Masseria Jorche 2017 Soltema -The grapes for this wine come from the youngest vineyard of 8 years. It’s a great everyday Primitivo. Aged 9 months in barrels then an additional 3 in the bottle. Lots of mix berry soft and easy drinking
Antica Masseria Jorche 2015 Primitivo di Manduria Riserva - The grapes for this wine come from vines 40 years old. They are hand picked and aged for 12 months in barriques and capasuni. Then the wine spends 3 months in the bottle. This is a fantastic wine and is quite complex. Lots going on in this wine with nice tannic structure.
Antica Masseria Jorche 2015 Primitivo di Manduria - The grapes for this wine comes from vines 70 years old. The wine spends 5 months in barriques. It’s an elegant wine that shows the fruit nicely. Lots of blackberries, wildberries, hints of prune and nice acidity.
