Brett happens

Primitivo di Manduria 2013, Campo Marina, Luccarelli ($21.55, 13083933)
100% Primitivo from bush vines averaging 20 to 40 years old. The grapes are destemmed and crushed, then macerated and fermented in stainless steel tanks with regular pump-overs for eight to 10 days. When malolactic fermentation is finished, the wine is matured in used American and French oak barrels for eight to 10 months. Reducing sugar: 13.1 g/l. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Vignôme.
The bottle my glass came from had been opened and recorked about 24 hours earlier. Dark and somewhat raisiny nose. Full-bodied and mouth-filling. Chock-a-block with ultra-ripe fruit (plum, blackberry, fig), round if rustic tannins, surprisingly good acidity, a fairly long finish and a certain, well, if not minerally depth then ballast. Oh, and it’s quite sweet. Actually, the residual sugar levels are about three times the maximum for what is considered a dry wine. While it’s not a style I find appealing, this isn’t as off-putting as such wines can be. It may be sweet but it isn’t full-on cloying. It may be heady but it’s not hot. There’s nothing port-like about it. And it doesn’t taste confected, unlike several popular New World reds with similar sugar levels (Ménage à Trois or Apothic Red, for example). Drinkers in search of big, bold fruit, who aren’t allergic to some sugar in their “dry” wines and for whom refreshment isn’t a primary concern can buy with confidence. Me? I’ll give it a pass. (Buy again?  Nope.)