Important Update From the Founder

2 sicilian Nero d' Avola e Frappato

Tasted July 2, 2016 by Puteljen! with 171 views

Introduction

I do like Scicilian wine and has hitherto mostly focused on Etna. A friend of mine recently travelled to Sicily and was quite impressed by Arianna Occhipinits wines. I've had some of them before, but they never quite sang to me. I know of quite a few people who enjoys her SP68 Nero d'Avola e Frappato very much, so I decided to give it a another try. To have something to compare it with I also got a bottle of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the only DOCG on Sicily. The only two grapes allowed are Nero d' Avola (minimum 50%) and Frappato (minimum 30%). So over two nights I drank two wines from the same mediterranean island, with the same grape varieties.

Flight 1 (2 notes)

Red

2015 Arianna Occhipinti SP68 Nero d'Avola e Frappato Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane

89 points

The nose intially displays lots of funk with manure and barnyard. This is reduced with air and time but does not completely go away. There is also an intense, salty liquorice and light herbal notes. The fruit is fairly subdued but I do get som nice raspberries. On the palate there is more liquorice, quite high acids and initially some sweetness but otherwise not much going on in the fruit departement. From the midpalate onwards an intense, salty minerality and on the finish some light tannin. A quite light wine but with lots of energy.

This is a salty sweet 'n sour raspberry-liquorice lightwheight energy bomb! I do wish for a little more fruit, a little less funk and perhaps more harmony and balance, but still very much fun to drink.

Comment

Red

2013 COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Italy, Sicily, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

91 points

Nice, if a bit shy, nose of mature strawberries, some lingonberries, liquorice, light good quality tobacco, just a hint of vanilla and some earthy herbal notes. On the palate quite elegant with again sweet strawberries, some cherry, intense, salty liquorice and from the midpalate forward a very nice minerality with more salt and some iron. Medium tannins, most noticable towards the lond, dry, salty finish. Overall quite lightwheight (as it should be from Cerasuolo di Vittoria) with very good energy and balance. Outshined the Arianna Occhipinti SP68 we had alongside.

Comment

Closing

I must admit these wines really won me over. They are something different than the Etna wines. Quite unique and undisputably sicilian. The Cos came out quite clearly ahead. It is perhaps a more "normal" wine. Even if it shares all or almost all the characteristics with the SP68 it is a calmer, more harmonious version and also displays better fruit, something lacking in the SP68. Both wines were very enjoyable though and I'll gladly drink them again. Perfect companions for the southern Italian kitchen.

2 sicilian Nero d' Avola e Frappato

Introduction

Flight 1 (2 notes)

Closing

Report a Problem

Your report has been submitted!