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Cristiano Guttarolo

Joha 2019

Price: $29.95
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Tasting notes

Joha delivers what most Pugliese reds at this price never do: genuine freshness. The chalky limestone soils and 400-meter elevation pull the wine toward wildflowers, bramble fruit, and a dusty mineral finish rather than jam and heat. The 20% Susumaniello adds a spicy, dark-fruited backbone that gives the blend more complexity than the estate's single-varietal Primitivo.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
BlackberryWildflowersEarthBlack Pepper
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red blend; 80% Primitivo, 20% Susumaniello; wildflowers, dark bramble fruit, chalky finish; 13% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 80% old-vine Primitivo, 20% Susumaniello; Puglia IGP; fossilized limestone karst soils, Murge Plateau, ~400m elevation
  • Winemaking: 6-day skin maceration; native yeast fermentation; tank rest through spring; bottled unfined, unfiltered; minimal sulfites
  • Serving: Serve at 60-64F; 20-30 min decant recommended
  • Pairing: Orecchiette with sausage and rapini, lamb ragu, aged Canestrato Pugliese, cured meats
  • Similar To: For fans of earthy, mineral-driven Grenache or lighter-styled Negroamaro who want something from inland Puglia

Joha is an 80% Primitivo, 20% Susumaniello blend from Cristiano Guttarolo's organically farmed vineyards outside Gioia del Colle, on the Murge Plateau in central Puglia. The grapes come from old vines planted on fossilized limestone karst at roughly 400 meters above sea level, where Adriatic breezes keep temperatures cooler than the Pugliese norm. The wine is classified Puglia IGP, as the Susumaniello component takes it outside the Gioia del Colle DOC Primitivo rules.

Winemaking is minimal: the grapes were fermented on the skins for six days, then pressed off to tank where the wine rested until the following spring. Fermentation is spontaneous using native yeasts. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with little to no added sulfites, and malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in tank.

Susumaniello is one of Puglia's rarest indigenous red grapes, historically used as a blending variety in the Brindisi and Salento areas. It brings depth of color, dark berry fruit, and a spicy lift that complements the freshness Primitivo expresses at this elevation. The limestone and karst soils impart a chalky mineral quality and saline edge that sets these wines apart from the denser Primitivo di Manduria bottled on the plains farther north.

Cantine Cristiano Guttarolo is certified organic by Ecocert. Guttarolo has farmed without synthetic chemicals since founding the estate in 2004 and trains his vines using the Guyot method. Wild herbs and cover crops are left to grow throughout the year to encourage soil biodiversity.

The wine's medium body and fresh acidity work well against fatty, savory dishes: orecchiette with braised sausage and rapini, slow-cooked lamb ragu, or a board of aged Canestrato Pugliese cheese and cured meats. The chalky finish also cuts through the richness of spiced pork dishes and holds its own alongside tomato-based pasta sauces.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Primitivo, Susumaniello
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2019
Alcohol:, 13%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Puglia
Appellation:, Puglia IGP
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

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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.


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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.

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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

Cristiano Guttarolo

Cristiano Guttarolo started the estate in 2004 with 2.2 hectares of vineyards inherited from his grandfather on the outskirts of Gioia del Colle. The property has grown to 7 hectares and includes old vines of Primitivo, Susumaniello, Verdeca, and Negroamaro. The winery operates out of the former stables of an old masseria built entirely from local stone, which provide stable temperatures for aging.

Guttarolo has farmed organically since the estate's founding and holds Ecocert organic certification. He uses no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, tills the soil sparingly, and encourages wild herbs and cover crops to grow between the rows throughout most of the year. Vines are trained using the Guyot method, which is more common in cooler climates and allows for better canopy management at this elevation.

Winemaking follows a non-interventionist approach: fermentation is spontaneous using only native yeasts, macerations range from 14 to 18 days for the steel-fermented wines, and malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in spring. Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. For Joha specifically, the 2019 vintage was fermented on the skins for six days before being pressed to tank to rest until the following spring. Sulfite additions are minimal to none.

Wine region

Puglia, Italy

Gioia del Colle sits on the Murge Plateau in central Puglia at approximately 360 to 400 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest-elevation wine zones in the region. The plateau is composed of fossilized limestone and karst terrain, with thin layers of red iron-rich earth over limestone and silica bedrock. Persistent breezes from both the Adriatic to the northeast and the Ionian Sea to the south moderate what would otherwise be extreme summer heat, and the diurnal temperature swings at elevation preserve acidity in the grapes through the growing season.

The Gioia del Colle DOC was established in 1987 and covers approximately 123 hectares. Primitivo is the dominant grape and is considered by many to have originated here; an 18th-century local monk, Don Francesco Filippo Indelicati, selected the variety for its early ripening and named it Primitivo. DOC Primitivo from this appellation must be 100% Primitivo with a minimum of 13% ABV. Wines that include other varieties, such as Susumaniello, fall under the broader Puglia IGP designation. The most widely planted red varieties across Puglia are Primitivo, Negroamaro, and Nero di Troia, with Susumaniello grown primarily in the Brindisi province and, increasingly, in the Murge area.

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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