Primitivo: The Beginning of an Italian Exploration

Before the boldness of Sagrantino, the uniqueness of Nero d’Avola or the sense of place captured by Amativo, there was the Italian grape that started it all: Primitivo.

Primitivo was the first Italian variety we produced and, alongside Carmenère, has become one of the longest continuously produced wines at Bartholomew.

A Difficult Grape in the Right Vineyard

From the grower’s perspective, Primitivo can be challenging. It naturally develops large clusters, leaving the fruit vulnerable to fungal infections when rain arrives late in the growing season.

Fortunately, Coyote Canyon Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills is particularly well suited to the variety. The vineyard receives very little rainfall, while persistent winds help dry the clusters when precipitation does arrive. It also offers sufficient warmth for ripening, balanced by cooler conditions that help the grapes retain their acidity.

We are fortunate to work with growers capable of cultivating challenging varieties such as Primitivo. When the vineyard sets us up for success, the grape can produce a remarkably balanced wine.

Same Grape, Different Year

At first glance, the difference between the 2021 and 2022 Primitivo appears simple: the same grape from the same vineyard, made by the same winemaker, one year apart.

But vintage is far more than a number printed on the label. Even when the fruit, vineyard and winemaking remain consistent, the conditions of the growing season can produce two distinctly different wines.

The 2022 growing season began approximately one month later than usual and remained cooler throughout the year. The 2021 Primitivo was the earliest Bart had ever harvested the variety. The 2022 became the latest.

The result was a different expression of the same grape:

“The 2021 had loads of stewed-fruit flavors, while the 2022 is somewhat subdued in comparison. It’s not lacking flavor, it has more interesting undertones.”
-Bart

Here, “subdued” does not mean less flavorful. The fruit is less overt, allowing the wine’s darker and more nuanced qualities to emerge.

Tasting Profile

The extended growing season brings depth without heaviness, balanced by fresh acidity, restrained alcohol and a smooth, lingering finish.

Aging in neutral oak keeps the fruit bright and allows the character of the variety and vintage to remain unobscured.

Primitivo or Zinfandel?

Primitivo and Zinfandel are genetically the same grape, but the names often signal different winemaking traditions.

Many American drinkers associate Zinfandel with ripe, jammy fruit and elevated alcohol. Our approach follows the grape’s Puglian identity: moderate alcohol, retained acidity and neutral barrels that allow its fruit, structure and brightness to show clearly.

The difference is less about the grape itself and more about where it is grown and how it is made.

Where Our Italian Story Began

The 2022 Primitivo continues the story that began Bartholomew’s exploration of Italian grapes. It honors the variety’s origins while showing what it can become in the Horse Heaven Hills: ripe without becoming heavy, nuanced and expressive without relying on new oak, and balanced enough to enjoy now or hold for years to come.

Many Italian varieties have joined our cellar since that first Primitivo, but this is one of the wines that started us down the path toward the winery we have become.

The 2022 Primitivo arrives as both a return to our roots and another step forward, shaped by a cooler vintage, grounded in Puglian tradition and unmistakably grown in Washington.