Primitivo- is a dark-skinned grape known for producing inky, tannic wines, particularly primitivo di manduria and its naturally sweet dolce naturale variant. a classic primitivo wine is high in both alcohol and tannins, intensely flavored and deeply colored. in manduria, the fortified liquoroso variants often reach an abv of 18%, which is dulled to 14% in the table wines. a certain bitterness is often found in primitivo which, combined with its mouth-puckering tannins, means that it needs a few years in either bottle or barrel.