Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
central Sicilian vineyards at lower altitudes and
warmer climates, they are richer and more
structured. Nero d'Avola wines from Agrigento
and Riesi, farther south, can be astringent yet
fruity. Around Noto, wines have great ripeness,
with herbal and saline notes (almost anchovy-
like), while those made in nearby Vittoria are
lighter and more fl oral, almost gentle, and
actually resemble wines made with Frappato. I
point that out not to insinuate that Frappato is
blended into supposedly monovarietal wines,
but to highlight how Nero d'Avola grown here
seems dominated by the area's unique
terroir,
exuding some of the fl oral-fruity charm of the
area's monovarietal Frappato wines and seem-
ing less “Nero d'Avolesque” than monovarietal
Nero d'Avola wines made elsewhere. Wines
from Pachino, perhaps the single greatest
grand
cru
of all for Nero d'Avola (another
grand cru
is
the triangle formed between Butera, Mazara
and Riesi) can be almost pungent, with aromas
and fl avors reminiscent of ripe tomato sauce,
aromatic herbs, dark cherries, and tar, with
saline nuances. In short, they are Nero d'Avola
wines at their most complex, a characteristic
that monovarietal wines made with this grape
don't always exude in spades. To generalize,
Nero d'Avola wines from old vines (of which
there is no shortage in Sicily) can be remarka-
bly good, but fi nding the best wines means
doing some homework, and knowing not just a
little bit about the respective Sicilian
terroirs,
but also what the producer believes in, and
does.
Australia makes a number of very good,
interesting Nero d'Avola wines that seem to me
generally fruitier and brighter than Sicilian ver-
sions, which are usually more herbal and tarry:
try Bassham, Brash Higgins (NDV Amphora
Project), Chalmers, Ducks in a Row, Golden
Grove Estate (their Nero d'Avola won a gold
medal and Top of Class honors at the 2012 Aus-
tralian Small Winemakers Show), Montevec-
chio (estate grown and made by the Chalmers
family), and Staffordshire Lane. Other estates
such as Politini, Kay Brothers Amery, and Per-
taringa have planted Nero d'Avola but I haven't
tried their wines or don't know of any bottled by
them with this variety yet. In California, Chi-
arito Vineyards (in Mendocino) and Sonoma's
Jacuzzi Family Vineyards and VJB Wines are
good sources of Nero d'Avola. I fi nd it interest-
ing that in California, Nero d'Avola seems to
have been planted in what are generally thought
of as cooler microclimates. In Texas, Brennan
Vineyards has made a very good, even complex
Nero D'Avola called Dark Horse.
wines to try:
Gulfi *** (the best producer of
Nero d'Avola wines, and by a long shot. Their
Nerojbleo, a blend of Nero d'Avola grapes from
different sites, is a standout, but my two favorite
wines by this estate are Nerobufaleffj and Nero-
sanlorè; the entry-level Rossojbleo, which is not
pure nero d'Avola, is almost Pinot Neroesque in
its charm and lightness, and Nerobaronj and
Nero Maccarj are also good), Feudo Mon-
toni*** (the old-vine Selezione Vrucara is a
must, but the entry-level Nero d'Avola is a thing
of beauty), Donnafugata** (Mille e una Notte),
Planeta* (Santa Cecilia), and Tasca d'Almerita's
(Rosso del Conte: very famous but I fi nd vin-
tages of the last fi fteen years too often marred
by strongly herbal and cedary aromas and other
very spicy fl avors). For Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a
Nero d'Avola-Frappato blend, try: Cos***,
Planeta***, and Valle dell'Acate** (Il Moro).
Barone la Lumia** (Nikao) makes a very rare
sweet Nero d'Avola Passito, from air-dried
grapes.
Canaiolo Nero
where it's found:
Tu sc a ny, Umbr i a , L a z io,
Marche, Liguria.
national registry code
number:
49.
color:
red.
You know a variety is problematic when its
name most likely derives from the Latin
dies
caniculares,
literally the dog days of August,
because this variety changes color between the
end of July and mid-August. Another hypothe-
sis links the name to the dog rose
(rosa canina),
the fragrance of which is evoked by good exam-
ples of Canaiolo Nero wines.
