Puglian Primitivo can be delicious. But mostly it’s either a bit too ripe and Zin-light (which is a serious trend), or it’s a lean, and lightly herbal dry red. Sometimes the former is delicious, sometimes the latter is delicious. But style variability is bloody huge. This Mottura Primitivo del Salento 2018 is closer to the latter, but with enough flavour to carry it. Imported by Single Vineyard Sellers.

Pretty typical fruit-sweet Primitivo, with a tarry middle, some licoricey extra bits and then a finish with some late savoury grip and bitterness. Not polished, but autentico and well built.

Best drinking: now to a good few years. Drink within ten. 17.5/20, 91/100. 13%, $30. Mottura website. Would I buy it? I’d share a bottle at a cheap trattoria and probably really enjoy it with ragù.