The 2006 Giorgio Primo is a totally different animal. It is a powerful, rich and intense wine loaded with dark fruit, earthiness, tobacco, tar and smoke, all of which come to life on a structured frame. Despite its size, the wine reveals tons of clarity and precision, all it needs is a few years to come together. In 2006 Giorgio Primo is 30% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021.
Proprietor Giampaolo Motta is one of the most passionate, driven producers in Tuscany. Seemingly never content with his wines, he continues to ratchet up quality in a meaningful way. The 2007 vintage brings with it a few significant changes, first and foremost the elimination of Sangiovese from the top of the line Giorgio Primo. Motta has never been fully satisfied with the way Sangiovese ages, so he has opted to use all of his Sangiovese in the entry-level La Massa, and use only his finest Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot for Giorgio Primo. This means that production of La Massa (the wine) will nearly double to 100,000 bottles, while production of Giorgio Primo will drop significantly to about 20,000 bottles. Clearly, this is a huge hit to top-line revenues in the short-term as prices will remain unchanged, at least while economic conditions are soft. It is only a matter of time before prices increase for Giorgio Primo, so fans of this wine will want to give the 2007 special consideration.
Importers: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; Wine Warehouse, City of Commerce, CA; tel. (323) 724-1700; Cavatappi Distribution, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 282-5226; Bommarito Wines, Saint Louis, MO; tel. (314) 961-8996; The Wine Company, St. Paul, MN; tel. (651) 487-1212; Un Po Pazzo, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 391-6008