MandraRossa Nero d'Avola 2007
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Ruby red with flashes of orange with a fine, penetrating bouquet. Layers of damson, black cherry and licorice abound in this smooth and supple wine.
Nero d'Avola demonstrates a notable capacity for aging and is a splendid match with rich, flavorful pasta dishes, grilled red meats and hard, spicy cheeses.
Led by Diego Planeta, president of Settesoli, in the early ‘90s, with single-minded focus, Planeta made an all-out commitment to the creation of top quality wines. He began by planting the best international and local grape varieties and invested extensively in innovative winemaking technology and state-of-the-art equipment. In addition, he formed a distinguished team of winemakers, led by internationally-renowned oenologist Carlo Corino.
The making of these wines began by mapping every parcel of vineyard for aspect, gradient and altitude, so that the ideal terroir for each varietal could be selected for planting. The wines resulting from these intensive efforts were proudly introduced under the MandraRossa name.
The intense Sicilian sun, offset by cooling sea breezes, permits reliable and extended ripening of the grapes. MandraRossa wines are hand-picked, and every harvested parcel is crushed and fermented separately to retain the grapes’ characteristics. Wines from individual parcels are carefully blended for nuanced complexity, yielding delicate scents and harmonious, fresh flavors.
Boldly opulent and robust, Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s most widely planted red grape. Nero d’Avola performs well both as a single varietal bottling and in blends. It loves hot, arid climates and Sicily's old vines are aptly head-trained close to the ground, making them resistant to strong winds. A few pioneering producers in California as well as Australia farm Nero d’Avola in the same way. Somm Secret—Nero d’Avola's other name, Calabrese, suggests origins from the mainland region of Calabria.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.