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L'Acino

Chora Rosso 2019

Price: $25.95
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Tasting notes

Chora Rosso delivers the kind of Calabrian red most people do not expect: fresh black plum and black cherry fruit, ground white pepper on the nose, and a savory, earthy finish with soft tannins. The franc de pied vines on sandy Pollino foothills and the north-facing exposure at elevation keep the wine bright and drinkable rather than heavy.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Black CherryPlumWhite PepperEarth
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; ruby with violet tints; black plum, black cherry, white pepper, earth; 13% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Magliocco Tondo; certified organic; franc de pied; sandy soils at the foot of Monte Pollino, northern Calabria
  • Winemaking: Native yeast fermentation; partial whole-cluster; ~8-day maceration; stainless steel tank aging; bottled unfiltered with minimal SO2
  • Serving: Serve at 60-62F; light chill brings out freshness; 20-minute decant optional
  • Pairing: Braised lamb, pork ragu, roasted peppers, aged pecorino, caciocavallo
  • Similar To: For fans of Gamay and Mencía who want something earthy, fresh, and completely off the beaten path

Chora Rosso is 100% Magliocco Tondo grown on sandy soils at the foot of Monte Pollino in northern Calabria, near the Basilicata border. The vines were planted in 2007-2008 from massale cuttings taken from older vines on the estate, and because the hillside is so sandy, they could be planted franc de pied — without grafting onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks. Farming is certified organic and harvest is done by hand.

Grapes are partially destemmed, with whole clusters retained, and fermented in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts. Maceration runs approximately eight days with no temperature control or sulfur additions during fermentation. The wine is aged in tank and bottled unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfur added early the following spring.

The name Chora comes from the Greek word for countryside — a reference chosen by Dino Briglio, who trained as a historian before founding L'Acino in 2006. Magliocco Tondo is a smaller-berried, more drought-resistant sub-variety of Magliocco Dolce, one of Calabria's most ancient indigenous red grapes. At the elevation and northern exposure of the Monte Pollino foothills, the fruit retains freshness and acidity that distinguishes it from riper, lower-altitude Calabrian reds.

The wine is labeled IGP Calabria and is produced in small quantities. This bottling is 100% Magliocco; earlier vintages included some Guarnaccia Nera in the blend.

Works well with southern Italian dishes: braised lamb, pasta with pork ragu, or sausages with roasted peppers. The wine's earthy, peppery character also pairs cleanly with aged pecorino or caciocavallo. Serve slightly cool at around 60-62F.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Magliocco Tondo
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2019
Alcohol:, 13%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Calabria
Appellation:, IGP Calabria
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

L'Acino

Dino Briglio founded L'Acino in 2006 alongside two childhood friends from San Marco Argentano, a town in the Cosenza province of northern Calabria. At the time, Briglio worked as a historian, and none of the three founders had a background in viticulture or winemaking. Their first vineyard was a one-hectare parcel of old-vine Mantonico located on the border of Pollino National Park, purchased from a farmer who found the land too difficult to work.

A second parcel followed — a sandy hillside coteau where the team planted Magliocco Tondo, Mantonico, Guarnaccia Nera, Pecorello, and Greco from massale selections. Because the sandy soil is naturally inhospitable to phylloxera, the vines were planted franc de pied. Both parcels were converted to certified organic farming from the start. The winery operates at Masseria Perugini in the Piana di Sibari, situated between the Pollino and Sila mountain ranges.

Vinifications at L'Acino involve no additions beyond a minimal dose of sulfur at bottling. Fermentations are driven entirely by native yeasts in stainless steel, with no temperature control. Wines are bottled unfiltered. This approach is consistent across the range, from the entry-level Chora wines up to the single-vineyard Mantonico whites and older-vine Magliocco reds.

Wine region

Calabria, Italy

Calabria occupies the toe of the Italian boot, flanked by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the east. The interior is dominated by the Pollino, Sila, and Aspromonte mountain ranges, with more than 40% of the region's land classified as mountainous. Vineyards are concentrated on hillsides and lower mountain slopes, often above 500 meters, where diurnal temperature swings preserve acidity in the grapes despite the region's hot, dry Mediterranean summers.

Calabria has 9 DOCs and multiple IGT zones, with IGP Calabria serving as the broad regional classification used by many small natural producers. The dominant red variety is Gaglioppo, which anchors the Ciro DOC on the Ionian coast, but Magliocco is the key grape of the northern Cosenza province, particularly around the Monte Pollino foothills and the Terre di Cosenza DOC. The dry, arid climate and sandy or mineral-rich soils make organic farming practical, with low disease pressure reducing the need for interventions in the vineyard.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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