Just as I was underwhelmed by the 2004 vintage, despite my high expectations, the 2005 Ptrimo delivered a series of beautiful surprises that I did not anticipate. Elsewhere in Italy this was a hot year, but in Campania the vintage brought on conditions from some seriously elegant wines. The bouquet is finely stitched together with beautifully etched mineral notes that add incredible focus and depth. The wine is sightly evolved with licorice and tar, but it reveals none of the dirty or leathery tertiary aromas you sometimes get with Merlot. It delivers a bright point of acidity that gives life to the mouthfeel and helps the wine appear younger than it really is. The vintage was unique with a very dry and hot month of June, followed by a much cooler and wetter August. These contrasts served to prolong the growing season, thus giving more time for the full and generous aromas to develop. This wine gets better and better with each successive tasting during the course of its evolution. This is one of my favorite editions. With this vintage, the wine goes from an IGT Irpinia Rosso appellation to an IGT Campania designation.95 points from Robert Parker, The Wine AdvocateWinery Notes: 100% MerlotMinimum 18 months in French barriques of medium toast.Minimum 10 months in bottle.Ruby red, clear and imprenitable at the same time. Perfumes of marmalade of delicate black fruits are evident, as are sweet spices, eucalyptus, vanilla and coffee. The tannins are sweet, fine and soft, the total balance is one of harmony. The finish has a long persistence of sensations of fruit, spices and roasted coffee.Extraordinary on its own, it pairs well wirh roasted or stewed red meats, as well as great cheeses.
