Nero d'Avola 2019

The Castellucci estate practices organic farming so here, no herbicides, no pesticides and no machines in the vineyard. All grapes are selected and picked by hand. Only the healthiest grapes arrive at the winery. The grapes come from the Madonies mountains, in the north of Sicily. The high altitude , with its combination of intense sunshine and cool mountain breezes, produces fresh, balanced aromas. After 10 months of aging in neutral barrels, we have here a very fruity and aromatic wine with flavors of ripe black fruits , wild black berries , cherry , plum , cocoa and spices . The tannins are round and appetizing which gives a silky texture to the whole and makes the wine very attractive and digestible.

Ah Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, people of the Dolce Vita, but what difficulty in understanding its wine organization! The key to understanding the naming system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous country because each region has its own naming system. Italy can, however, give wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, as well as bottles filled with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless and characterless wines which are sold under their most useful and commercially reputable name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let's talk a little history, viticulture in Italy dates back to ancient times and it originated in Greece. The Etruscans would have planted vines and Greek immigrants would have improved and modified the grape varieties who subsequently called this country "Oenotria": the country of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life and certain regions already stood out for the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible testimony to their invasion. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic areas. The northern mountains experience a fairly harsh mountain climate. The “middle of the boot” plain is the domain of the continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the "southern part of the Italian boot" the Mediterranean climate reigns with very hot and very dry summers without forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In summary, Italy produces wines of great variety thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originate from their lands. It is a country just as complex as its wines which deserve to be explored!