Literally meaning "black of Avola", this grape was used by winemakers in the southern Sicilian town of Avola a couple of hundred years ago, and is now one of Italy's most important grapes. It managed to take the fight to Australian Shiraz with its sweet tannins and its peppery notes.
I tried two inexpensive wines from two co-operatives, both wines retailing around the eight pounds price point, and they couldn't have been more different.
2010 Baccaria Nero d'Avola
Dark, rich berries, some semi dried cherries and a bundle of herbs and perfumed summer flowers. The palate is weighty, some really tasty sour cherry, dark leathery notes, a bit of leather coming off too with some lovely dark, tobacco notes. It is a tasty wine, with earthy flavours on the back end and a nice tannic grip. 88pts
2010 Villa Cardini Nero d'Avola
Sweet up front fruit with a little confected cherry on the nose and a little bit of wet clay. Pretty closed otherwise. There is a boring, slightly dark and tannic palate, some over extracted fruit coming through with a bit of green pepper and a half arsed attempt at dried fruit. SO boring and really not showing what grape or region it is from. There is a baked fruit note on the back end, but this is dull. 72pts
I can see why the Villa Cardini would sell. It offers big extraction, sugary sweetness and is drinkable, sitting at home with a pizza liquid and is an alternative to an Aussie red, but the Baccaria is so much better. It has complexity, it has depth and, most importantly, tastes not just Italian, but tastes like it is from the baking hot Sicilian Island, and it is the wine I'd want to drink.
For the next week, I will be in Northern Italy visiting a bundle of producers in the Veneto and Friuli. I'm hoping to be able to post some articles when I'm there, but if not, expect some when I get back.
Comments