Primitivo?

[stevebody]

Also recommend the A-Mano, which I poured in my restaurant as our house Zin and sold a TON of. Scott Shannon, an expat American who makes the stuff, also makes wines called Promessa, a Rosso Salento and a 100% Negro Amaro, if you've never tried a red that tastes wonderfully of apricots. His "serious" wine is PrimaMano, a $25 stunner that combines Primitivo with Cab (I think) and is nearly perfect.

Those aside, Primitivo just ain't bad, no matter where it comes from in Italy but the Mandurians have been coaxing it along for centuries and have a great way with it. NOTE: It may be geneticallt identical to Zin but don't expect Zin. The Italians use the grape differently from the CA houses. The black-pepper blast isn't there and the profile is rounder, a tad either richer or thinner (depending on vintner), and more terroir shows; limestone, claydirt, adjacent herbs, etc. Some of the Italian vintners have, just last year, gotten permission from the Italian Government to call their bottlings Zinfandel. Two bottlings I know of are now on shelves. It's the same stuff but they have tried to make it CA styled. Great juice, whatever the style.