The 2018 Primitivo Porcospino is terrific, offering lots of juicy berry fruits as well as notes of black pepper, new leather, violets, and chocolate. Upfront, nicely textured, yet also with good freshness and fine tannins, it's a pleasure-bent beauty to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years.

Displaying a dark ruby center, the 2018 Primitivo Porcospino Northridge Vineyard offers aromas of stewed plum, blackberry skin and elements of tar and dusty red flowers. Medium-bodied, the wine begins slightly ashy with flavors of bitter black tea, with black cherry skin on the finish. The wine is completely dry and clocks in at 12.5% alcohol, seemingly marking a different style from previous years.

Medium-deep red. Musky bitter cherry and suggestions of black pepper and bonfire on the nose. Savory, vinous and very dry; in fact, a bit austere in the early going. Very dry, slightly sour wine with its fruit suppressed. Finishes with a firm dusting of tannins. There something vaguely stewy about the fruit, but the finish is also a touch green and dry. I'm not sure where this can go.