Firriato Cavanera Etna Rosso Rovo Delle Coturnie 2018

This wine is calling out for a porkchop. Not only is it a single vineyard wine, but the vineyard is dedicated to producing this label only. Right away it's pretty clear that it's mostly Nerello Mascalese, but the other grape involved is Nerello Cappuccio. It has a lighter body weight, bright acidity, and fine-grained tannin. There's a nice minerality with metallic notes of iron and nickel, rustic notes of barnyard and damp earth, and then there's fruit roll-up with a strawberry finish. Very nice and enjoyable; not bad at all for the average price of $35.

Read More

Firriato Ribeca Perriconen 2016

Myself having Sicilian ancestry, the wines of Sicily hold a special place in my heart. And here I have a Sicilian wine that I don't believe I've ever had before as a labeled varietal! It's called Perricone, a native grape to the island that is permitted as a varietal in some regions, is a good blending buddy with Nero d'Avola, and is one of the grapes blended in the Rubino style of Marsala.

I couldn't decide what I would incorrectly guess this wine was if I had tasted it blind. For a moment I thought I'd say Shiraz, the next I thought I'd say Right Bank Bordeaux. It's definitely different... but it's got balls. Mocha, burnt caramel, walnut, and black olive are heavy on the nose, with a whiff of rosemary and clove. On the palate there's tart plum, cherry, and leather. It's got a medium body with moderate acidity but even at eight years old the finish is tight and astringent, dominated by oak and spice. This lady still has a life ahead of her to smooth out.

I'm seeing anywhere from $33 to $40 for this, and that's exactly where it should be. Good stuff!

Read More

Irmàna Grillo 2019 & Frappato 2019 by Corvo

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I've got two wines from Sicily by Corvo, both varietals native to the island, that would go great on your Thanksgiving table. Irmàna Grillo 2019 is a white wine that has a big lush body with notes of stone fruit, clementine, cake frosting, and a little bit of earthiness and green herbs. Delicious! Irmàna Frappato 2019 is a red wine with big juicy grape juice, strawberries, black licorice, lavender, cream soda, and dark chocolate. It's actually lighter than the loud nose leads you to expect it to be, and even with it's juicy character it is very versatile with food. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Read More

Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio & Art of Earth Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

It's so hot and humid out that even the red wine bottle is perspiring just from coming outside of the air conditioning in my house! I opened these two while cooking burgers on my new grill and they were both perfect for performing such a heroic feat of dad-dom. Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio 2019 is 100% Pinot Grigio from Sicily and it's cost you $12 retail. Bright and tart with a little bit of sweetness and very refreshing. It's loaded with lemons, pears and green apple. It's a serviceable Pinot Grigio for the price and definitely a porch pounder. Art of the Earth is a certified organic Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and it'll also cost you $12 retail. Once the burgers were done, this guy went pretty damn well with them. Medium bodied with very dusty tannin, and a bursting acidity that fits right in with the wine and doesn't make you think "damn, that's bursting acidity". There's notes of plums, tomato, licorice, and sweet tobacco. Again, for the price it's a solid bottle of wine. Maybe let it open up so that tannin calms down a bit.

Read More