Pizzorno Primo 2020

Primo is Pizzorno’s flagship wine, originally created to mark the family estate’s centenary and produced only when the vintage and fruit justify it. The 2020 is a particularly strong example, from selected parcels in Canelones and a hand-harvested blend of 50% Tannat, 27% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. The vineyards lie on gently sloping Canelones sites with medium-depth silty-clay soils and calcareous subsoils, with the Río de la Plata helping moderate the growing climate. Rather than following a fixed recipe, Pizzorno adjusts the blend from vintage to vintage according to the character of the best parcels and varieties. Only 2,500 bottles of the 2020 were produced, making this a genuinely limited expression of the estate.

Each variety was vinified separately in concrete tanks, with 14 days of controlled fermentation followed by 21 days of maceration. The components were then aged separately for 12 months before being assembled and given a further 12 months together in oak. The result is now entering a particularly attractive stage of development: blackberry, blueberry, plum and blackcurrant have taken on more savoury layers of cedar, cocoa, tobacco, sweet spice and violet, while the substantial new oak has become much more integrated. The palate is concentrated but notably refined, with silky tannins, fresh acidity and a long, polished finish rather than the harder structure of a young Tannat-based blend. Drinking beautifully now after decanting, it should accompany slow-cooked beef, roast lamb, venison, rich mushroom dishes and mature hard cheeses.