Cusumano - A Comfortable Fusion of Modern Winemaking & Sicilian Soul

I have always found the precise and pure Cusumano wines incredibly juicy and approachable. This trio serves to reinforce my many prior experiences. 

Brothers Diego and Alberto source the estate-grown fruit for their Cusumano wines from four different areas of Sicily covering over 500 hectares / 1235 acres. (Etna is a fifth region that they use for their other label, Alta Mora.) Focusing on local and international grapes in varietal and blended wines, the wines are a comfortable fusion of modern winemaking and Sicilian soul.

93
Cusumano 2014 Sàgana Sicilia DOC $45
This varietal Nero d'Avola is made at the Tenuta San Giacomo in Butera, only 10 kilometers / 6 miles from the island's southcentral coast. It's hot and sunny, but the 400-meter-high vineyards always feel a sea breeze. The calcareous soil is "as white as snow and Sicilian Torrone"! 

This is a show-stopper Nero d'Avola with an incredible combination of complexity and drinkability. While six-years-old, it presses on with incredibly youthful fruit. Black cherry, boysenberry and blueberry light up the palate. Tender notes of scrub brush and dried herbs weave through the back palate and into the solid, mouthwatering finish tinged with streaks of slate. At this point, there are no overt signs of oak aging left and the tannins have turned silky smooth.
Drink: 2020-24

90
Cusumano 2016 Benuara Sicilia DOC $19
This is made at the Tenuta Presti E Pegni in Monreale, where there is sun from sunrise to sunset and international grapes are grown alongside old vine Nero d'Avola. As I would expect, the 70% Nero d'Avola accompanied by Syrah has more brooding aromatics than the Sàgana. However, it is just as crushable! 

Offering flair with finesse, this youthful, concentrated red boasts aromas of blackberry, game, cracked peppercorns and dark chocolate shavings. The polished structure juxtaposes crackling acidity against sleek, low-intensity tannins while the Nero d'Avola gives the mid-palate a pop of suppleness.
Drink: 2020-24

88
Cusumano 2018 Shamaris Sicilia DOC $26
Hailing from high altitude (400+ meters) vines facing north, this Grillo's terroir has freshness locked in! 

This estate-bottled, varietal white hails from Tenuta Monte Pietroso in Monreale, just a 20-minute drive from Palermo. Revitalizing and vivid in its tangy, lemon-lime freshness, this clean, light-bodied and lightly saline wine has a zippy, yuzu-inflected, moderate finish with a touch of grip, likely derived from its five hours of pre-fermentation maceration. 
Drink: 2020-23