Mark Shannon and his partner Elvezia Sbalchiero have revolutionised the style and calibre of Primitivo, turning it into one of Puglia’s most talked about grape varieties. They achieved this at A Mano in Salento by paying fair, high prices for the best possible grapes (sourced from 70 to 100-year-old vines) and focusing exclusively on quality while crafting a modern style. As the old saying goes, where you lead, others will follow.
The continued success of A Mano is at least partly attributable to the knowledge that Mark and Elvezia have gleaned from over 18 vintages in Puglia. Not only do they have access to Salento’s best grapes, but their growers have also realised that if they want the higher price paid by A Mano, they need to provide quality to match.
The quality of fruit shines through in A Mano wines. A Mano Bianco is a blend of Fiano and Greco and displays aromas of ripe pear and orange blossom. The Rosato, made from 100% Primitivo, is fermented at low temperatures to retain the delicate perfume of the variety. The ‘Imprint’ Primitivo Appassito is made in the style of an Amarone and delivers a similarly rich and powerful expression. The rare and ancient red Puglian variety, Susumaniello was used mostly as a blending component until a few years ago. The name means ‘little donkey’ in the local dialect, referring to the enormous load the vines bear when young. Others argue the name derives from it being stubborn and difficult to manage. The wine is deep, inky purple and full-bodied, with intense aromas of blackberry and violets.
Their ‘Prima Mano’ Primitivo is produced only in excellent vintages. Sourced from two ancient vineyards planted on the red sand soils of the Ionian coast, the resulting wine is extremely dark and concentrated, with the spiciness typical of Primitivo. The ‘Prima Mano’ Negroamaro hails from 70-year-old vines. The wine is beautifully complex, with velvety tannins and notes of rose petals, violets, black cherries, and damask plums.
The vineyards are located in Lizzano, overlooking the Ionian Sea, with vines averaging 70 years of age. The sandy soils are dry-farmed, and the vines are trained on trellises to protect the sensitive grapes from sunburn.
2020 proved to be an unusual vintage in Puglia; very little winter rain, an unseasonably cold spring and a gradual progression into normality, all of which caused a delay to both budbreak and flowering. May and June were characterised by above-average rainfall. Careful vineyard management techniques were necessary to coax the grapes over the finish line. Although yields were down on the previous year, the berries were in excellent condition.
The grapes dried on the vine for three weeks before harvest. Vinification employed a unique dual-temperature approach: fermentation began before all juice was drawn off and chilled, while the remaining skins underwent warm maceration to extract colour, tannins, and aromatic compounds. At the optimal moment, the super-chilled must returned to the skins for cold fermentation, combining the extraction benefits of hot fermentation with the fruit preservation of cold fermentation. The wine received no wood ageing before bottling.
Deep ruby in the glass. This wine is beautifully complex, with richness and depth. On the nose it shows aromas of rose petals, violets, black cherries and damask plums. The tannins are velvety and well-integrated, the vibrant acidity keeps the flavours fresh and intriguing through the long finish.
