Synopsis, Our Opinion: A SPIRITED Italian red we REALLY enjoyed.
Producer/Winery: Salvatore and Alessandro Portelli; Agrivinicola Portelli; Vittoria, Italy.
Grape Variety: Blend – 70% Calabrese (Nero d’Avola) and 30% Frappato.
Geographic Appellation,, Region, Country: Cerasuolo di Vittoria; Sicily, Italy.
Vintage: 2015
Price: $20.70 (with a 10% mixed case discount)
Purchased From: The Caviste Wine Shop; Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Paired With: Venison lasagna with homemade roasted tomato sauce and a garden salad.
Tasting:
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Opened 90-minutes before drinking. Opaque, very dark ruby color with the same color rim. Light aroma including cherry, plum, blackberry and a little forest floor. Vibrant mouthfeel, dry, solid medium body and a smooth 200-grit texture. Powerful flavors of bright cherry, plum, chocolate and believe it or not…strawberry, with just a touch of dusty mineral that begins at mid-palate and expresses itself through the finish. Plenty of fresh acidity, leathery tannins and a long dramatic peppery spice and bitter finish. This was a SUBSTANTIAL Italian red wine!!! PERFECT paired with the strong flavors of the venison and roasted tomato sauce in the lasagna, but also excellent sipping after the dinner with its smooth mouthfeel, fantastic tannins and tart fruitiness. This was simply a SUPER combination of grapes that’s quite unique. There was a lot going on in this wine that made it special and it’s priced appropriately. It needs to be paired with a bold flavored dinner, but match them up and you will not be disappointed. A SPIRITED Italian red we REALLY enjoyed.
Photo from Kermit Lynch.
Alcohol Content: 13%
Closure: Natural cork.
UPC Code: 7 61503 46451 4
Imported by: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant; Berkeley, California.