Yes, I'm writing about Sicily and its wines. It's difficult to describe this island's wonders in only one post and I won't try. What made me write about this island's beautiful gems is two recent tastings which both come from one of my favourite producers, Benanti.
Geographically Sicily is positioned next to the toe of Italy's boot and its total area is 25,708 km2 . Temperature wise it can reach average highs of 38°C in August and lows of 10°C in January and February. September to April are the rainy months with October producing around 98mm. On This island one can find several mountain ranges and an active volcano, Etna reaching slightly over 10,900ft. Historically the island of Sicily was influenced by a lot of different cultures, from the Greeks and the Romans to the Arabs, and also forming part of the Kingdom of Sicily in the Middle Ages.
Sicily's wine reputation is now at a high after some very good work from various producers, such as Planeta, Tasca d'Almerita, Benanti and several others who have researched the potential of the Sicilian terroir. The reputation of Sicilian wines is no longer as 'big full-bodied wine' used for blending with the milder wines to the North.
Initially the grape to attract attention to Sicily's wines was Nero d'Avola (at times compared to Shiraz with its plum, peppery aromas), however if one is to discover What this island has to offer I would suggest to dig deeper to find such wines as Etna DOC, Contessa Entellina DOC, Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG amongst others not to forget the plethora of sweet wines amongst which Marsala DOC, Moscato DOC and Passito DOC of Pantelleria and Malvasia delle Lipari DOC.
On a personal note I'm discovering wines containing the Nerello Mascalese or Nerello Cappuccio. One such wine is Etna Rosso DOC containing a minimum of 80% Nerello Mascalese and up to 20% Nerello Mantellato (aka Cappuccio) with a maximum of 10% of local grapes.
Today's wines are;
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| Serra della Contessa and Lamoremio |
Appearance; Luminous, Red ruby and heavy viscosity
Nose; Aromatic, complex, wild berries and spice (pepper??) with hints of wood and incense
Palate; Dry, elegant with present acidity and light dominance of tannins
I would suggest to decant this wine an hour before enjoying. Not so much for the wine being too big however it did open up whilst we were drinking it making it more complex and enjoyable to all those present. I was really pleased on the nose. Every time you get a whiff of the aroma you'll want to smell it more to smell the subtle notes of wood and incense.
I would classify this wine as a full bodied wine however do not expect it to be heavy as it is quite elegant . It will be a joy to all those who like a well made wine that punches above the reputation of the grapes its made of. I warmly recommend this wine.
****+
Found in Malta around 30 euro but available in Catania around 20 euro. I graded this wine four plus with regards to its Catania price.
Disclaimer; Please be aware that tasting wine is a very subjective matter and the fact that i do like or not any wine does not make that an absolute. What I would like to deliver in my blogs is that trying different wines from different (and at times unthinkable) places might lead you to fantastic discoveries.
