Dominic Hentall: Terra Calda 2015

Winemaker – Dominic Hentall
Wine –  Terra Calda
Vintage –  2015
Varietal –  100% Primitivo
Price – GBP £9.99 USD $13.30

Let it be known, this is a serious wine! A Puglian beauty to rival the best Primitivo and stand up to the better US Zins available in the UK. It possesses incredible structure, has character aplenty and a wonderful elegance that you rarely see in big, powerful reds. It’s an engaging wine and one that will keep you thoroughly captivated, a real ‘thinking man’s’ wine if you will.

Full of pungent, earthy aromas and powerful flavours. A palate packed full of dark fruit, creamy sweet vanillin laden oak, subtle liquorice and some wonderful peppery notes. Full bodied and bone dry, with big bulky tannins, a decent acid core and a finish that’s seemingly everlasting.

This wine is a real mouthful, I shan’t mislead you and if you’re sensitive to tannin, or your palate isn’t conditioned to be overly accommodating of big reds, then expect it to come across a bit chewy. But please, don’t be put off! This aspect of the wine will mellow naturally in the coming years making it a more refined and rounded, but a good long (2-3hrs) splashy decant can nullify this to a certain extent and make it a whole lot more approachable immediately.

Terra Calda will age gracefully for at least the next decade, easily, if not more, providing its kept under steady conditions. Potentially a 95pt wine, punching well above its weight in a market saturated with fantastic examples of this varietal and all for a very, very reasonable price! Serve at 18-20’c. Food wise, you can’t go wrong with a fiery pepperoni pizza or baked camembert and crusty, freshly baked bread.