2024 · Primitivo Old Vines

Founded around 2000–2001 in Manduria, Puglia, by Lisa Gilbee and Gaetano Morella, Morella is an estate focused on preserving old, dry-farmed Primitivo bush vines and other traditional varieties. Its vineyards lie on red sandy clay over limestone and quartz, with vines cultivated by hand according to certified biodynamic principles, including Green Code certification. The estate’s traditional albarello vines include distinctive “Patriarch” vines more than 80 years old, valued as a link to the past and a source of concentrated fruit. Lisa Gilbee leads the winemaking, using low-intervention methods, traditional techniques, cement eggs and extended skin contact for whites. Wines come exclusively from owned vineyards and are made in small batches with very low yields.