Nero d'Avola

Great showing for this wine.  it is made from the Nero d'Avola grape.  Garnet in color, darker at the core, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, sandalwood, nutmeg, and slight dark chocolate notes.  It is tight at first but opens after an hour or so.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is delivering right away.  Black cherries, sour cherries, and ash.  Complex and deep.  Delicious.  Long finish.  At age 9, this is in a great spot and should be at or close to peak.  It is great on its own, but should work well with meat or fowl.  A

An almost shy wine, this flagship red from Donnafugata does not announce itself with overt fruit. The wine needs some time to coax out the subtle flavors and the tight tannins at the outset tell you to wait a while before it opens up. When it does plum, muted strawberry, pomegranate, baked cherry and rose water dominate the opening. Comprised of Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot, and Syrah, the tannins and acidity support the judicious use of oak. Aged 14 months in small French oak barrels it then spent 20 months in bottle rest. The result is a lovely wine that will work with a variety of foods.

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.

This red is from the island of Sicily,  Ruby/purple in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries and slight black olive notes.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, more black cherry than cherry.  A bit of underlying char.  Moderate finish.  Fully mature at this point.  This will work better with food.  Pork chops or burgers off the grill would do well.  drink over the next few years.  

This is a Nero d'Avola from Sicily made in the Appassimento (drying out  the grapes before pressing) style.  14% abv.  Ruby in color, partially opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, cough drops, wild thyme, and a hint of cocoa.  Medium bodied with a nice texture.  On the palate, there is some anise along with nice cherry fruit.  More cough drop fruit on the finish.  Dry.  Light tannins.  Very tasty wine.  This drinks nice on its own but will work better with food.   It would work nice with a lamb stew.  Drink over the next five years.  

This is made from Nero D'Avola in Sicily.  It spends 14 months in barrels and another year in bottles prior to ageing.  It is bigger and deeper in style than most Nero D'Avolas.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is interesting with a rye bread note along with cherries, black cherries and a slight dill.  Nice texture.  On the palate, cherries and sour cherries.  Firm tannins.  Some anise on the long finish.  It has a nice complexity.  This is drinking well now and should go another eight to ten years.  It will also work well with food.  Rosemary and garlic lamb chops w

In attempting to discover the grapes in this, a brief search on the Internet revealed lots of suspects but no definitive answer.  Other grapes mentioned include Nerello Mascalese, Perricone and Merlot.  The varietals that popped up the most are a blend of Nero D'avola with a small percentage of Syrah.   Purple in color with a rim of persistent bubbles.  This wine is made in a "natural" style but other than the bubbles there were no noticeable faults.  The nose has lots of sour cherries, some anise, black pepper and slight black olives.  On the palate, this has light tannins, tart acidity an

This is 100% Nero d'Avola from Sicily.  Ruby in color, some brown swirls, clear and bright.  The nose has raspberries with some soy.  Airy.  Medium bodied.  Thick tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, anise and smoke.  Long finish that shows some alcohol.  the wines has 13.5%abv.  It is drinking nicely, but one wonders if there is enough fruit to outlast the tannins.  Drink sooner than later.  A nice match with cheeses or braised meats.  

This is 100% Nero d'Avola from the far western side of Sicily.  Ruby in color with some brown hues, clear and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, cherries and thyme.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cherries and anise.  Nice acidity.  Plenty of depth.  Delicious.  A hint of salinity on the finish.  This is drinking well on its own and will work well with bigger meat dishes.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

This is made from the Nero d'Avola grape in south-western Sicily.  Ruby in color, clear and shimmering bright.  The nose has cherries, black licorice and slight balsamic notes.  Great texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cherries and sour cherries.  Some warmth on the finish.  Long finish.  This is mostly about red fruit but a bit bigger and brighter.  It drinks well on its own and will go great with pasta or pizza.  A nice value.  Drink over the next four to six years.