Wines

From the importer: 

The ‘Rocce di Pietra Longa’ is 100% Grillo from the Pietralunga vineyard, located near the town of Corleone. The vineyard can be recognized by a tall stone (the Pietra Lunga), about 100 feet high, nearby. Vines were planted in stony alkaline clay soil with many rocky outcroppings. Pale straw yellow color in the glass.

Gorgeous intense mouthwatering aromas of lemon, marzipan and wet stones. Outstanding lively fresh palate impression, by far the best example of the variety I’ve had.  Very long, very concentrated. A delicious, mineral, serious white wine from an unexpected source. Maybe even age-worthy. This Grillo can stand with some of Italy’s best white wines.

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From the importer: ‘Argille di Tagghia Via’ 100% Nero d’Avola, and takes its name from the church of the Madonna di Tagliavia, a few hundred yards away. The vineyard is planted between Corleone and San Giuseppe Jato.  Soil is impermeable alkaline clay with some sand, poor in organic matter and limestone. Fairly dark violet-tinged red in the glass.

A berryish, spicy aroma (hint of black pepper); lead pencil; somewhat reminiscent of Syrah. Very concentrated palate and fresh acidity. Finish honestly tastes like blackberry, with a faint hint of coconut, a common Nero d’Avola note. A much better, fresher wine than most Nero d’Avola but still forward and drinkable. Try it with red meats, flavorful pasta dishes.

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93 Points! Plums with orange peel and orange blossom on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that are polished and curated with lovely tension and texture. Drinkable now but will age nicely. Shows tension at the end. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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91 Points! Sweet honeyed florals, peaches and wet stone form an inviting bouquet as the 2022 Catarratto Masso wafts up from the glass. It's silky smooth yet has a contrasting salty tinge. Nectarine and spiced orange notes settle upon the senses. This tapers off spicy with a tropical flourish. The 2022 leaves the palate crisply refreshed. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

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94 Points! In 2009, the flagship 2009 Nero d'Avola Vrucara is drop dead gorgeous. Black cherries, tar, licorice and melted rocks meld together in a big, boisterous Nero d'Avola. Here, too, the style is very much forward and full-throttle, especially within the context of Nero d'Avola, but it all works. The 2009 is all about power wedded to expressive inner perfume and sheer depth of fruit. I see a wine of exceptional richness and character in the glass. Tobacco, mint, licorice and juicy dark cherries add complexity on the rich, enveloping finish. - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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93+ Points! Dark depths of crushed plums, black cherries, balsam herbs and dark chocolate form a beguiling display as the 2019 Nero d'Avola Vrucara smolders up from the glass. This is pure elegance, silky and textural, yet full of youthful tension, with tart wild berries and zesty citrus colliding under an air of inner rose. The 2019 is structured with sweet tannins and is dramatically extended, showing hints of brown spice, mocha and clove that linger on and on and on. This is a powerful rendition of Vrucara. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

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91 Points! Slightly advanced color of brick red. The nose shows dried cherries, spices and strawberries with some soya. Medium body, creamy tannins and a juicy finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

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93 Points! The 2023 Etna Rosso A Rina wafts up with a savory profile, mixing woodland berry with nuances of sage, wet concrete and a burst of tangerine. This displays a lovely sweetness with its ripe strawberry and cherry fruits as rosy inner florals cascade throughout. It leaves a saturation of primary concentration as depths of tart raspberry mingle with autumnal spices through the long, refreshing finish. The product of severe selection, this is the only red from Girolamo Russo in 2023 due to the challenges of the year. It is not to be missed.  - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

93 Points! Smoky and perfumed with aromatic herbs, a bit of tar and lifted dark fruit. Medium-bodied. It shows firm, dusty, yet good tannins with crisp acidity and a tight finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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94 Points! What a beauty this wine is. The 2017 Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo offers a delicate embroidery of wild berry fruit, mountain herbs, blue flowers, wild rose, sweet almond and candied tangerine. You feel some of the heat of the vintage, but in the relatively cool climate of Etna and with the late-ripening Nerello Mascalese grape, this hot vintage has added to the intensity and the complexity of the wine. The hot vintage is an important asset in this case. I love the depth and definition and nervous tension you get here. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com Learn More

From the importer: Made of a blend of Nero d’Avola (Frappato 45%, Nero d’Avola 55%), estate-grown in vineyards near Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the Contradas Ponte, Biviere e Fegotto. The soils are a calcareous mixture of clay and sand, at just under 300 meters (1,000 feet) above sea level. The grapes are picked at moderate ripeness (with care to avoid over-ripeness, in other words, in this hot climate) around mid-October; fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, and maceration with the skins lasts for about 3 weeks. After fermentation the wine is aged on the lees in the tank for a further 2 weeks, then racked and aged in a tank for 18 months. 

Nero d’Avola is the best-known Sicilian red wine grape when bottled on its own, but for my money, this blend is better. The Frappato lightens and lifts the meatiness of the Nero d’Avola, giving it juicier aromas and flavors and making it MORE DELICIOUS. See note above about temperature; stick the bottle in the fridge for 30 minutes for best results. Drink with red meats or more substantial pasta dishes. I bet this will age well, but I doubt I’ll have any left to find out.

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A GREAT vintage of this wine. From the winery: 

Passorosso offers a journey through the Contrade of Passopisciaro.

It is crafted with Nerello Mascalese grapes selected from vineyards at different altitudes, ranging from 550 to 800 m / 1,804 to 2,624 ft asl and from diverse volcanic soils, some rich in volcanic ash and some with lava stones of varying grain sizes.

It is produced exclusively from old vines, with an average age of 100 years.

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94 Points! The organic Planeta 2023 Sicilia Menfi Chardonnay is a creamy and rich interpretation with sweet almond, apricot and Sicilian candied fruit. The wine delivers beautiful intensity over a thickly layered, full-bodied mouthfeel. Fruit comes from the Ulmo vineyard (positioned at 250 meters above sea level) and Maroccoli (at 415 meters in elevation). The wine is aged in Allier French barrique with 40% new oak, 30% second-use and 30% third-use barrel for 11 months. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

94 Points! Almost Burgundian style to this wine, due to reductive character, with smoky aromas, pink grapefruit and candied cedar. Mellow, full-bodied and opulent with a creamy texture, refreshing acidity and a polished finish. From organically grown grapes. Sustainable. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

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93 Points! Pretty orange blossom with cranberry and crab apple aromas as well as watermelon. Medium body with fine and polished tannins that shows energy and length. Very fine-textured at the end. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! From vineyards planted in 2008, the Tenuta Tascante 2020 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova has a ruby shine that seems more luminous in this vintage. The bouquet is subtle, but there is noteworthy complexity here with ashy mineral, pressed violet and cassis. There is also an interesting note of bitter almond that leans directly into a tight tannic backbone. This contrada based in Randazzo sits at 730 meters in elevation and enjoys both northern and southern exposures. The wine ages in 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks for 12 months with a small percentage of 300-liter tonneaux as well. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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The best value going on Etna today...95% Carricante, 5% other local grape varieties. Vines are an average of 60 years old, located in Castiglione di Sicilia, on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, at 670 meters above sea level. The soil is a black volcanic soil mixed with sand and minerals. Vines are pruned and trained in traditional head-trained cordon spur. Manual harvest, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, aged on lees for 6 months before bottling.

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