Wine & Spirits - June 2019 - 67

YEAR'S BEST SICILIAN WINES
entirely in stainless steel, Neré is a fresher,
more approachable wine than Maccari's barrique-aged Saia (also recommended here). It
feels dense yet juicy, with plum and blackberry flavors and lively notes of black licorice
and spice. § Kobrand, Purchase, NY
232794

90 | Gulfi

$25

2016 Cerasuolo di Vittoria ^ The vines that
produce this Cerasuolo grow in limestone
and clay soils at Gulfi's estate near Ragusa,
in southeastern Sicily. The wine's dark plum
and licorice notes derive from 70 percent
nero d'Avola, balanced by frappato's tart
strawberry flavors. Charming and easy drinking at first sip, it turns smoky and savory with
exposure to air. Pour it with a seafood stew. §
Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, NY
232801

90 | Gulfi

$70

2011 Sicilia Reseca ^ A blend of nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccio, this comes
from a densely planted five-acre plot of century-old vines rooted on lava terraces half
a mile above sea level. Gulfi takes a noninterventionist approach in the cellar, and the
wine initially comes across as rustic before
opening into flavors of baked plum laced
with notes of smoke, dark spices and wild
herbs. Drink it with a grilled loin of venison. §
Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, NY
270882

90 | Pietradolce

$43

2016 Etna Rosso Contrada Rampante ^
This wine opens with high-toned scents of
cherry blossoms and offers juicy red-plum
flavors with notes of baking spice, smoke
and tobacco. Aged for 14 months in French
oak barrels, it retains some wood flavors and
a rigid structure, needing time in the cellar to
integrate. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
270589

90 | Planeta

$24

2016 Etna Rosso ^ Planeta's Etna Rosso from
the moderate 2016 growing season is understated and elegant. It opens with delicate floral scents that lead into flavors of red plum
and Morello cherry; fine, sandpapery tannins
and subtle notes of green olive and savory
herbs add complexity to the finish. § Palm Bay
Int'l, Port Washington, NY
270541

90 | Planeta

$38

2016 Sicilia Nocera ^ Planeta's small La Baronia estate on Sicily's northwest coast includes
a handful of nocera vines planted on Capo
Milazzo, a narrow promontory that juts
out into the sea, with views of the Aeolian
Islands. Native to the region, nocera typically appears in blends to bulk up the color
and structure. Here, the grapes underwent a

one-week maceration, gaining a deep ruby
color and firm tannins to frame the flavors of
fresh strawberry, red currant, pomegranate
and herbs. The 2016 is the second vintage of
this wine; it's a project worth watching. § Palm
Bay Int'l, Port Washington, NY
270599

90 | Tascante

$20

2016 Sicilia Ghiaia Nera (Best Buy) ^ Ghiaia Nera is a lively, medium-bodied wine
made with nerello mascalese grapes from
Tascante's younger vines on Etna's northern slope. Aged in large Slavonian casks, it
offers juicy plum and cherry flavors framed
by polished, pebbly tannins. Notes of bay leaf
and citrus peel enliven the finish. Bright and
approachable, it's priced to pour by the glass
at a trattoria. § Dalla Terra, Napa, CA
270384

88 | Barone di Villagrande

$20

2016 Etna Rosso (Best Buy) ^ Marco Nicolosi's 44 acres of vines sit about 2,300 feet
above the sea, on Etna's eastern slope, where
the wetter, cooler climate can present challenges for ripening red grapes. He ages this
Rosso in chestnut barrels, which have a more
porous grain than oak and lend a deep color
and some dried-fruit notes to the wine. Raspy
mineral tannins frame the dark cherry and
plum flavors, with hints of mint and pine to
add brightness. It's a pleasantly rustic wine
to pour with grilled burgers. § Sierra Nevada
Imports, Reno, NV
270888

88 | Le Casematte

$18

88 | Planeta

$22

87 | A. Camporeale

$16

2017 Sicilia Nero d'Avola (Best Buy) ^
Gianfranco Sabbatino farms 17 acres of vines
on the hills overlooking the Strait of Messina,
in Sicily's far northeastern corner. He vinifies
this nero d'Avola in stainless steel, producing
a juicy red with black plum flavors framed in
meaty tannins. Hints of black olive and carob
emerging as the wine is exposed to air. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
270588
2016 Vittoria Frappato (Best Buy) ^ Frappato culled from vines growing in Vittoria's
red sandy soils macerates for just one week
to achieve this wine's translucent ruby color.
The wine ages for six months in stainless
steel, allowing the flavors of early-summer
strawberry and seeded raspberry to take center stage. Lightly smoky, it would pair well
with poultry or pork off a charcoal grill. § Palm
Bay Int'l, Port Washington, NY
270832

ily, one at sea level, with limestone soils, the
other at 1,000 feet above sea level, with clay
and gravel soils. The wine ferments spontaneously with ambient yeasts, and presents
some initial flinty aromas that blow off to
reveal flavors of ripe plum, black olive and
iodine. Salty and smoky, it's a match for eggplant caponata. § The Artisan Collection, NY
270885

87 | Vigneti Zabù

$15

86 | Tenuta Rapitalà

$14

2017 Sicilia Nero d'Avola (Best Buy) ^ From
Sicily's southwest coast, this offers textbook
nero d'Avola flavors of licorice and plum.
Rounded and smooth, with plenty of fresh
acidity, it's best served with a light chill. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
270627
2017 Sicilia Campo Reale Nero d'Avola
(Best Buy) ^ This wine's burst of plum, blackberry and licorice gains a little complexity
from notes of smoke and black olive. It's a
pleasant weeknight wine with anything off
the grill. § Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY

DESSERT
270745

96 | Donnafugata

$44/375ml

2016 Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé ^ The
2016 growing season on Pantelleria saw
moderate temperatures but extraordinarily
low rainfall, reducing the already miniscule
yields for this sweet wine by 30 percent.
The team at Donnafugata began harvesting
zibibbo (muscat d'Alexandria) for Ben Ryé in
mid-August, drying the clusters outdoors on
straw mats; then they made a second pass in
September, gathering grapes to crush for the
base wine. By adding the dried clusters to the
wine before fermentation, they avoid extracting any bitter flavors that alcohol might
draw out, and preserve the zibibbo's exotic
scents. The result is deep amber and heady
with scents of apricot and honeysuckle, with
complex flavors of fresh and dried apricot,
mango and orange marmalade enriched by
ginger and marzipan. While it's considerably sweet (with about 200 grams of residual sugar), tangy acidity brings the wine to
an impressively refreshing finish. Pair it with
salty cheeses rather than sweet desserts, serving it at cellar temperature to reveal the full
spectrum of aromas and flavors. § Folio Fine
Wine Partners, Napa, CA n

2016 Sicilia Ciràsa Nero d'Avola (Best
Buy) ^ The organically farmed grapes for this
wine come from two plots in western SicWINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2019

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Wine & Spirits - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2019
