Fatalone

Gioia del Colle, Puglia, Italy

“Who loves and respects nature, loves God and himself”  - Pasquale Petrera

Azienda Agricola Petrera Pasquale (Fatalone) has been making wine in the Gioia del Colle region since the late 1800’s.  Like many producers in the area, bottling wine came late; most wines were sold in sfuzo, where locals would bring jugs and fill up from the tank. It was only in 1987 that the first bottles of ‘Fatalone’ were produced.  A winery with intense dedication to the earth, their certified organic farming practices prove to make exceptional Primitivo Gioia del Colle in three different styles, and one bianco made from the local Greco. Their belief in organic principles and renewables extends to the winery where only solar power is used to power the entire production. Fatalone is a zero emission winery.  Stainless steel is used for primary fermentation in all of the wines, and when oak is used, it is always large, old Slavonian oak.  Sulphur is not used during vinification, and only a minimum but stabilizing amount is used at bottling, leading to a remarkably purity of fruit.

Our Selections

Fatalone Greco Bianco Spinomarino 2022

The Spinomarino is the only white wine from Fatalone and comes from just one half hectare (0.6 to be specific) of 25+ year old organic Greco vines planted to karstic clay/limestone soils. The grapes come into the cellar and go into the press but stay as whole clusters for only 8 hours before pressing.  The wine then undergoes natural fermentation but, due to the low pH in the soils, does not go through malolactic fermentation.  The result is a beautifully textured wine with scents and flavors of flowers, green apple, exotic fruits, and honey with a pronounced minerality that lingers on the finish. 7000 btls produced | 12.62% alc | 05 gl/l RS | 68mg SO2

Fatalone Teres Primitivo 2022

Fatalone’s 2022 Teres Primitivo is a unique and delicious light red wine that pays homage to the Petrera family’s ancestors and their winemaking practices.  The wine comes from only the free-run must of the Racemi, which is the juice of the second budding fruit of the Gioia del Colle Primitivo plant (yielding only 1.8kgs/hectare), which has less of a full-body character, a more delicate palate, and a lovely sweet and floral smell. The whole berries spend 36 hours on the skins, during which only free run juice is captured for natural fermentation, and then had 6 months of aging. Teres is a fresh, mineral driven light red wine full of strawberry, cranberry, raspberry and red currant notes. This is an extraordinary wine that will change any preconceived notions you may have about Primitivo and balance in wine.

14,000 btls produced | 14.5% alc (yet fresh as a daisy!) | 1.4 g/l RS | 57mg SO2

Fatalone Primitivo Gioia del Colle 2022

100% Primitivo from the Murge hills within the Gioia del Colle. The rocky, marine vineyards, planted in 1990, are fully organic with no irrigation and rich in fossils. The must is fermented on the skins in stainless steel for eight to nine days using only native yeasts. After nine months, the wine is racked to large (750 liter) Slavonic oak tanks for three months then bottled without filtration. The wine is kept for another nine months before release. Despite the 15% alcohol, this is a beautiful example of balanced Primitivo with notes of black cherry, toasted bitter almond, and a freshness that belies the stereotype of the grape being a high octane powerhouse. 

Fatalone Primitivo Riserva Gioia del Colle 2021

The Primitivo Riserva is Fatalone’s flagship Primitivo that has been built to last for years to come. By law, this wine is to see 24 months aging in order to accomplish the very high standards of this region. The organic Fatalone Riserva spends its first 9 months in stainless steel in order to complete both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, and this then aged for one year in old and large Slavonic oak barrels. At least 15 months of aging in bottle follows, resulting in a wine that is dark and intense, yet so far from being a jammy Zinfandel-like expression of Primitivo. There is massive acidity in the final bottle, which complements the black cherry, rich earth, and toasted wood notes. The wine undergoes music therapy during its time in wood to take advantage of the rhythmic air pressure gently speeding up the breathing and micro-oxygenation of the aging wine. An absolutely gorgeous Primitivo that deserves serious attention, enjoy this wine with rich meats, game, and spicy cheeses.