Founded in 2004 with a hectare of vineyard left by his grandfather, the winery itself lies in an old masseria: a restored, traditional farmhouse built entirely from local stone and surrounded by indigenous grape varieties. Guttarolo’s ‘Amphora Rossa’ sees fruit pulled from the estate’s most prized 40-year-old Primitivo vines, destemmed and fermented on the skins for five days, before being pressed to terracotta vessels until the following spring. The perfume here is an intoxicating mix of blackcurrant, earth and brine whilst the palate offers a wonderful purity of fruit – tiny, wickedly tart blackberries, sour plum skin, blood orange – all drawn inward by a cascade of bitter herbs and a seeping iodine mineral impression. Eminently quaffable at this early stage of its evolution, though this seems to have all the hallmarks of a more naturally vinified wine that should age beautifully over the coming years.
This wonderful rosato of Primitivo was macerated on the skins for a day, fermented in porcelain amphorae and then moved to vats for a short rest. A gorgeous shade of sunset, it draws you in with tart berries, blood orange, sea salt and brine. An invigorating wine that is oh-so-suited to aperitivo, particularly alongside some crudo di mare.