This wine offers complex, lightly cedary aromas along with Frappato’s classsic red berries (raspberries, cherries, and strawberries) as well as a touch of blueberry. Flowers are part of the nose and palate. This has a wonderful texture, its smooth tannins dancing with fruit--and its not clear which is leading in this lively, fresh, fruity, smooth wine. It is medium in body and length.

WINE INFORMATION

Cantine Nicosia originated in 1898 when Francesco Nicosia who owned vineyards on the eastern slope of Mount Etna and began selling his wine. This was the time of the golden age of Etna wine, and the family was one of the pioneers. They are still one of the few who shepherd their grapes from wine to bottle. At the turn of the 20^th century, Francesco’s great-grandson Carmelo undertook a thorough renovation of the cantine, expanding and restructuring the vineyards and building a new technologically sophisticated winery and research facility. He also acquired property in Vittoria, where, together with his sons Francesco and Graziano, began making Cerasuolo di Vittoria and this Frappato.

Frappato is a grape first written about in 1760, hailing from the province of Ragusa in southern Sicily. It is mid to late in ripening, hanging in tight clusters. This growth habit, coupled with its thin, delicate skin, makes it prone to botrytis bunch rot, so it grows best in hotter dry areas.

Grapes for this wine come from the 60-hectare organic Contrada Bonincontro vineyard. The site is located at 656’ with medium-textured sandy soil and a southern exposure. The vines average 15 years old. The fruit is fermented over 10-15 days at 22-24°C in stainless steel with pumpovers, followed by a cold maceration for 24 hours. The wine sees a secondary fermentation, is fined with a vegan agent, and aged at least three months in bottle before release.

Charcuterie, Hearty stew, Pizza, Pork, Sausage, Tomato Sauce