Outside of Italy, Nero d’Avola sees little production elsewhere. But in the hands of the right winemaker, Nero can be a beautifully complex wine, as is the case here. On the nose, it is fruit-forward with notes of rhubarb, pepper, tobacco, and nutmeg, which makes this a sultry wine to indulge in. Lively tannins and supple softness blend together to a harmonious whole. An intense wine that shows a little of its age, it drinks like a beautiful layered wine. Dusty fruit notes of blackberry, plum, pomegranate, black cherry, light cassis, baked blueberry pie, cocoa powder, sage and wildflowers permeate. This hand-harvested wine is aged 20 months in both French and American oak, it then spent another year aging in bottle. Though the age mellows this wine, it nonetheless offers a gorgeous entry, filling the palate and creating a lingering finish, from start to finish. This is exceptional. It’s nice to see a wine with this age, this complexity, and this dynamism still on the market, and at this price point. ORIGIN: Sicily, Italy. ALCOHOL: 14.8%
