Made from best parcel of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, the COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Delle Fontane is the finest offering from the estate vineyards in Fontane, Sicily. Grapes are hand harvested and fermentation takes place in concrete tanks. Ageing takes 24 months in Slavonian oak. A few more years of ageing follow its oak nap before release.

Nero d’Avola: The most planted grape on the island of Sicily. Color, structure, and ageing potential are its main values. This is the go-to for winemakers elsewhere searching for something to fill out too-thin wines. There was just over 11,000 hectares of Nero d’Avola in 2000. Now in 2021, there are over 20,000 hectares. It’s the dominate variety of the Cerasuolo DOCG and is made into varietal wine in the Vittoria DOC.

Frappato: There are about 900 hectares of Frappato on Sicily. Significantly less than Nero d’Avola. Valued for its vibrant fruit flavors, floral quality, and freshness. Frappato has thin skin and  ripens later than Nero d’Avola. It can be made into a varietal wine in the Vittoria DOC and must be 30-50% of the blend of Cerasuolo di Vittoria.

Tasting note: The brick-colored core tells the tale of development. Clean with developed aromas of orange peel, fig, baking spices, cherries, tobacco, wet potting soil with a limey-saline edge. Dry, with a medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, and medium tannins. Developed flavors of cherries, oranges, dates, figs, tobacco, almond, and lime peel. A very long finish and sky high complexity. Positive development will continue for another 10 years. Hands down my favorite wine in the shop.

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