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San Marzano Anniversario 62 Primitivo di Manduria Riserva is the bottle we recommend when somebody wants a genuinely special southern Italian red. Rich black cherry, plum and blackberry combine with cocoa, vanilla, tobacco and sweet spice, creating a full-bodied wine with velvety tannins and a long, polished finish.
What sets it apart from more everyday Primitivo is not simply greater richness, but greater balance and refinement. Carefully selected fruit from vineyards around Manduria gives the wine depth, while fresh acidity and controlled oak prevent it from feeling heavy. Whether chosen for a celebration, an important dinner or a memorable gift, Anniversario 62 delivers the generosity people love in Primitivo with the poise expected from a flagship wine.
Merchant's Tip
Every independent wine merchant has a small number of bottles they instinctively reach for when somebody says, “I want something really special.” Anniversario 62 has been one of ours for many years because it impresses both experienced wine drinkers and customers discovering premium Italian wine for the first time.
Appearance: Deep, intense ruby red with attractive brightness.
Nose: Generous and complex, with ripe plum and cherry preserve alongside tobacco and warm spice.
Palate: Full-bodied, rich and remarkably smooth, with concentrated ripe fruit and fine tannins. Eighteen months in French and American oak brings cocoa, coffee and vanilla, while sufficient freshness keeps the wine balanced despite its considerable depth and power.
Finish: Long and persistent, with lingering dark fruit, cocoa, coffee, vanilla and polished spice.
Choose Anniversario 62 if you already enjoy rich, full-bodied red wines but want something with enough depth, refinement and presence to feel genuinely special.
It is particularly well suited to drinkers who enjoy premium Primitivo, Amarone, rich Malbec or powerful Australian Shiraz and want generous ripe fruit, smooth tannins and noticeable oak rather than a lighter or more restrained style.
It is also one of the Primitivos we'd particularly recommend when the occasion matters — an important dinner, celebration or gift where you want the bottle itself to feel like a step above the everyday.
If you prefer lighter-bodied reds, pronounced acidity, minimal oak or predominantly savoury and earthy flavours, another style will probably suit you better.
Anniversario 62 was created to celebrate the year San Marzano was founded, 1962, and is made entirely from Primitivo selected from very old vineyards around San Marzano and Sava in the heart of the Primitivo di Manduria area.
The vines are around 60 years old and trained in the traditional alberello bush-vine system. They grow in finely textured, iron-rich red soils over a calcareous limestone subsoil, in a hot, dry climate where the difference between daytime and night-time temperatures helps preserve grape quality.
The grapes are harvested by hand in mid-September at an advanced stage of ripeness. After destemming and crushing, they undergo a cold maceration at around 8°C for 24–48 hours, followed by approximately ten days of temperature-controlled maceration and fermentation at 24–26°C with indigenous yeasts.
Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel before the wine matures for 18 months in French and American oak. That combination of old-vine fruit, advanced ripeness and extended oak maturation creates Anniversario 62's concentration and richness, while fine tannins and freshness prevent it from becoming simply heavy or powerful.
Anniversario 62 is at its best with deeply flavoured food. Pair it with grilled steak, slow-cooked lamb, braised beef, game, rich ragù, baked pasta or mature hard cheeses.
Serve at around 18°C. If the bottle has been stored in a warm room, a short spell in the fridge before opening will help bring it to the right temperature. Giving it around 30 minutes to open in a decanter or large glass will allow more of its dark fruit, tobacco, cocoa and spice to emerge.
For broader regional pairing advice, read our What Food Goes with Puglia Wine? guide.
Anniversario 62 occupies a particular place in our Primitivo range. There are less expensive bottles we'd recommend for everyday drinking and other premium Primitivos that explore different expressions of the grape, but this is one we repeatedly come back to when somebody wants a bottle that feels genuinely special.
The 60-year-old vines, concentrated Primitivo fruit and 18 months in French and American oak give it the substance expected of a flagship wine, but what matters in the glass is that the richness remains smooth, balanced and remarkably approachable.
If you're looking for a light or restrained Italian red, this isn't it. But for a celebration, important dinner, memorable gift or simply an occasion when an ordinary bottle won't quite do, Anniversario 62 remains one of our favourite recommendations.
If you like Primitivo but aren't sure Anniversario 62 is the right bottle, browse our Primitivo wines to compare other styles and price points.
If you'd like to explore more wines from the same producer, browse our San Marzano wines.
If you're not yet sure which style of Primitivo suits you, read our Should You Buy Primitivo? guide.
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