Tormaresca’s 2004 Primitivo Torcicoda is a big, jammy offering with lovely nuances of herbs, tobacco, leather, licorice and toasted oak that play off the wine’s ripe dark fruit. It offers outstanding length and terrific balance, with a final note of sweetness that lingers on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016.Tormaresca is the Apulia estate of the Antinori family. In just a few short years the winery has succeeded in making rich, sumptuous wines imbued with personality.Importer: Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Woodinville, WA, tel. (425) 415-3738

A sophisticated and seductive expression of the Primitivo grape, this Antinori-made Puglian wine boasts thick concentration, fruity extracts, ripe cherry flavors, strawberry and a thick inky appearance. The tannins are rock solid suggesting a pairing with roasted meats, steak or aged cheeses.——M.L.(8/1/2007)—— 88