Mandrarossa is based near Sicily's southwestern coast near the town of Menfi. In 2020, over twenty years since its founding, which itself happened only after years of painstaking research, the winery expanded to begin gathering grapes from two more world-class sources: Etna and Pantelleria. The wines are clean, precise and soulful. For the second time, I've come away highly impressed from my tasting.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreTwenty years of study have flown by since the inception of Mandrarossa. This project is a study of the best combinations of grape varieties and terroirs in Sicily. The idea is that it is a modern day story akin to the Benedictine monks in Burgundy fast-forwarded a few hundred years and speeded up thanks to technology and global research. Based in the Menfi area, on the island's southwestern coast - almost directly across from Palermo on the north coast, the Mandrarossa project is a study of "micro-terroirs".
Read MorePerricone Guarnaccio Sicilia DOC 2017: I have been excited knowing this unusual red was waiting in my wine cellar to be tasted. (I thoroughly enjoyed tasting the 2016.) There's not a lot of Perricone out there, and there is even less of it bottled solo. A victim of phylloxera, it's remained mostly the mainstay grape of Ruby Marsala and the blending partner of varietally labeled Nero d'Avola. However, this bottling shows just how much we're missing when it's not showcased on its own.
Read MoreIt's not often that I see a wine bearing the USDA Organic symbol. This is even more true of an imported wine. So, I was especially curious to taste these wines. It turns out that they sit squarely in the "natural" spectrum, as I expected.
Read MoreMost of all, I was impressed by the nobility and longevity of the wines. In almost every wine there was a hard core, Sicilian determination that aimed to survive against all adverse expectations. Each time I taste a new vintage, I find the same character. If you’re looking for fruit-driven, easy wines, move along. These aren’t those wines. The wines of Tenuta Regaleali are thoughtful, even pensive, wines of integrity that require “listening to” to fully appreciate.
Read MoreThe best wines of this tasting confirm what I’ve said for just over a half decade: I believe Sicily is a region on the rise to being one of the top quality producers (it has long been a top volume producer of Italy), if it isn’t already.
Read MoreDonnafugata 2015 Grillo Sur Sur: This wine’s color looks pale, like lemon pulp in color. It’s savory on the nose with notes of crushed slate, grapefruit zest and veggie broth. This is a relatively lean Grillo – and all the better this, rather than some of the variety’s more blowsy expressions – that is nonetheless character-filled.
Read MoreI was craving Pinot Noir, but the price points weren’t to my value-oriented mood. As I finished that importer tasting with Italian wines, Cerasuolo – a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes – popped into my mind.
Read MoreI had chosen the Roasted Squid with Charred Scallions and a Radicchio, Endive and Lettuce Salad with Valdeon and Fried Pistachio Nuts. These may sound like white wine dishes, but the savoriness from the roasting process and the rich blue cheese made a red wine pairing possible.
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