Fatalone Greco Bianco Spinomarino 2024

Azienda Agricola Petrera Pasquale (aka Fatalone) has been making wine in the Gioia del Colle region since the late 1800’s.  Like many producers in the area, bottling wine came late; most wines were sold in sfuzo, where locals would bring jugs and fill up from the tank. It was only in 1987 that the first bottles of ‘Fatalone’ were produced.  A winery with intense dedication to the earth, their certified organic farming practices as well as biodynamic principles prove to make exceptional Primitivo Gioia del Colle in three different styles, and one bianco made from the local Greco. Their belief in organic principles and renewables extends to the winery where only solar power is used to power the entire production. Fatalone is a zero emission winery.  Stainless steel is used for primary fermentation in all of the wines, and when oak is used, it is always large, old Slavonian oak.  Sulphur is not used during vinification, and only a minimum but stabilizing amount is used at bottling, leading to a remarkably purity of fruit.  

The Spinomarino is the only white wine from Fatalone and comes from a tiny, 0.6ha vineyard of 30 year-old certified organic Greco vines on rocky karstic clay-limestone soils. The grapes come into the cellar and macerate as whole clusters for 8 hours before pressing.  The wine then undergoes natural fermentation and is lightly filtered to prevent malolactic fermentation. Pasquale believes this helps retain Greco’s incredible, limestone-inflected minerality. 

The 2024 vintage made for an incredibly complex Greco. Even after a warm and long growing season, the grapes were still full of acidity and the wine shows great salinity and transparency. Flowers, green apple, pineapple notes start off the palate. Then a smooth, balanced taste of apricot, yellow plum, green banana and honey. Great minerality and freshness to exalt the complexity of this wine with pure precision and cut.

The estate calls this a Noble white which is a very versatile, natural and authentic wine: a great match with fried foods, salads, seafood appetizers and grilled vegetables and fish. Excellent with fresh cheeses, mozzarella and light soups. Outstanding match with pizza and excellent as an aperitif.

12.15% alc | 0.4 g/l RS | 71mg Total SO2

Founder Filipo Petrera lived until the age of 98, and each morning for breakfast he had a half-liter of fresh milk and a half-liter of the Puglia's region local red grape, Primitivo. His motto was also "Who loves and respects nature, loves God and himself". Amen!!!  Today it is the fifth generation of the family carrying on the traditions.