• About Caspernick
  • Star Ratings
  • The Master tasting list

Caspernick's Blog

~ My personal wine tasting notes

Caspernick's Blog

Tag Archives: sicily

Milani 1985 Nero d’Avola 2020, Sicilia DOC, Italy

22 Friday Oct 2021

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$23, 3 stars, 89 points, Italy, nero d'avola, sicily


It’s not often I see a Sicilian Nero D’avola so I picked this up on spec.  It pours  a semi opaque ruby in the glass with very watery legs.  The nose has pretty florals and red currant, red plum, sage and believe it or not- red chili. There is a sweet candy note that strikes fear into me as I hate that smell/taste in a wine- let’s see if it shows up on the palate.  Yum, this is very smooth and gently tannic.  Juicy acidity and a medium body weight give it a balanced mouthfeel.  The finish is a touch short but the acidity goes on for a while making me want to drink another sip.  The flavors are all there plus black cherry.  Listed at $23 it gets 89 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink soon with pasta, sausages with peppers or spaghetti bolognese.  Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Diversi dal Solito Vino Rosso 2019, Sicily, Italy

24 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$19, 2 stars, 86 points, firstleaf, Italy, sangiovese, sicily


Here’s the scene- it’s Christmas Eve, Moxie is making her grandmother’s famous Holiday Crunch for dinner (a pasta casserole) and I am having to pick between four different bottles to try. Eenie meenie moe and voila- the Vino Rosso beats the Barolo, the Gigondas and the Cab Franc.

No idea what the blend is until I pour the wine, it’s gotta be a Sangiovese. Light purple, totally see through and obviously Italian. The nose gives me muted cherry, raspberry and cedar plank. On the palate it is very soft and easy drinking. Strawberry and cherry give it away. Very little tannin make this super light weight and easy without any astringency or acid. The mid palate is a red fruit melange plus some plum that takes me to the short lived finish. Right at the very end I sense some acidity taking hold, but it’s not jaw dropping. A tasty wine that will go well with our pasta dish which normally gets smothered in hot sauce. 86 points and 2 stars for this $19 charmer. Drink now. Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Cabernet Sauvignon Sicilia IGT 2016, Sicily, Italy

22 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$50, 5 stars, 92 points, cabernet sauvignon, Italy, sicily, VWTC


The finale for the 12th virtual wine tasting was a stunner. Dark purple, opaque and very powerful on the nose. Spice box, vanilla, cocoa powder, black cherry and jam were all noted as was, dare I say- plastic and banana. The palate gave us black fruit jam, black tea bursting with beautiful tannins that really coated the mouth. This wine was delicious and I made note that the oak use was very judicious and well played. There was a shot of pepper on the short finish, which took a few points off the table. Still young, it will develop nicely and drink well till 2030. I’m going lower than the pros with 92 points and 5 stars. $50 is not cheap, but this wine has loads of stuffing to it and will get better with time. Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Tintoretto Sangiovese 2019, Sicily, Italy

11 Wednesday Nov 2020

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$17, 4 stars, 89 points, firstleaf, Italy, sangiovese, sicily


Semi opaque with deep red color and thin legs in the glass.  On the nose I get cherry,  cinnamon, juniper and oak.  The palate has got cherry juice, blood orange and fruit cake notes with some lovely tannins to give it a touch of dryness.  There’s a hint of astringency on the mid palate that quickly fades into a juicy finish that gives me rhubarb and cherry flavors along with that touch of wood.  A delicious, lighter style of Sangiovese that will drink well into 2025.  I’m pairing it with Chicken Alfredo.  89 points and 4 stars for this $17 wine. Salut….

tempImagefWXxUj

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Cusumano Nero d’Avola Terre Siciliane IGT 2018, Sicily, Italy

26 Sunday Apr 2020

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$12, 4 stars, 89 points, Italy, nero d'avola, sicily, VWTC


Number two in the virtual line-up was this Nero D’Avola from Sicily.  I wanted to add a relatively unknown varietal to try and introduce new wines to my friends.  This one was a steal at $12 and scored highly amongst the attendees.  I gave it 89 points and will go with 4 stars.  It had some very nice black fruits, good tannic structure and a decent finish of licorice and oak adding to plums.  Cellar for up to 6 years.  A good wine to have in case you need a quick go-to bottle.  Salut….  

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Cantina Colomba Bianca ‘Vitese’ Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT 2016, Sicily, Italy

23 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$12, 5 stars, 90 points, Italy, nero d'avola, sicily


Inky purple with medium opaque hues.  Nose is crushed blueberries with black berry jam.  The palate is lovely, blueberry with açaí berry and fig.  The tannins are so sleek, they sneak up on me at the end.  The mid palate has a nice body to it and shows off more blue fruits.  The finish is of medium length, slightly dry and more of a black fruit tint.  90 points and 5 stars for this $12 wine.  Paired with Truffled Ravioli, seared Petit Sirloin and tomato jam.  Drink till 2022.  Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Settesoli Nero d’Avola 2012

25 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$15, 3 stars, 88 points, nero d'avola, sicily


I really dig Nero d’Avola, it’s a Sicilian specialty that offers up great tannins and a nice mouthfeel of plums and dark fruits.  This particular bottling has Syrah added to brighten it up slightly.  I enjoyed the plums and blackcurrants of this bottling along with some oaky, smoky hints and star anise.  Cherry cola comes to mind as a mid-palate descriptor.  Smooth tannins balance the mild acidity and give this wine a nice, if short finish.  An easy drinker that won’t break the bank, it offers a medium body with some level of complexity at only $15 a bottle.  88 points from me make this a solid 3 star wine that introduces this neat grape to the masses.  Look for it and serve it up with some pasta, perhaps even osso bucco.  Salut….

settesoli nero d'avola

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Feudo Maccari Saia 2010

12 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$25, 5 stars, 91 points, nero d'avola, sicily


If you have never had a Nero D’Avola wine before, you must.  From Sicily comes this black wine with ample tannins and great depth.  This particular wine was as expected.  Bold black cherry and dark fruits with a hefty dose of tannin that was somewhat curbed yet providing a strong backbone.  The use of oak was deftly hidden and the acidity was great.  The wine is slightly rustic and needs a big plate of salami, olives and some hard cheeses to really get it going.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend this $25 offering for the uninitiated.  91 points and 5 stars.  Salut…IMG_0537

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

RSS Me!

RSS Feed

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 288 other subscribers
Follow Caspernick's Blog on WordPress.com

Archives

Blogs I Follow

  • Finger Lakes Connected
  • the drunken cyclist
  • The Bubbly Professor
  • grapefriend
  • Drink What YOU Like

Blog at WordPress.com.

Finger Lakes Connected

the drunken cyclist

I have three passions: wine, cycling, travel, family, and math.

The Bubbly Professor

Excellent Adventures in Wine and Spirits Education

grapefriend

grapefriend. wine. fun.

Drink What YOU Like

  • Follow Following
    • Caspernick's Blog
    • Join 177 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Caspernick's Blog
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: