2008 Cos Cerasuolo Di Vittoria Classico

2008 Azienda Agricolo Cos Cerasuolo Di Vittoria

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria was granted Sicily’s only DOCG in the 2005 vintage…..the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita is Italy’s highest ranking of wine and at present only applies to around 8% of the Italian wine production.

The only permitted grapes in the DOCG are Frappato and Nero D’Avola and of those grape varieties, Nero D’Avola must make up at least half of the blend.

Azienda Agricola Cos is a fairly new venture….it only goes back until the early 1980′s when Giusto Occhipinti….uncle of Arianna Occhipinti whose wines I waxed lyrically about in a previous note……got together with two old school friends, Giambattista Cilia & Pinuccia Strano and started vinifying grapes from their parents vineyards. They initially used second-hand barrels purchased from Angelo Gaja but were later seduced by the oak bug and started aging their wines in new barriques.

A few years down the track they put the brakes on after a tasting, when they realised their new oak fascination wasn’t doing their wines any justice. A step back was taken and now they use old oak of various sizes to age their wines…..all except the Frappato which is only raised in stainless steel. They also use 400L terracotta amphorae for some of their wines but we’ll have a geezer at that in the near future when I have a look at the “Pithos” from the same producer.

Personally, Nero D’Avola blends seem to resonate with me a bit more than a straight varietal wine, and the blend here is 60% Nero D’Avola and 40% Frappato….for the record I’m a big fan of Frappato, straight or blended, shooters, on cereal….you name it….the stuff just rocks.

Everything is done very hands off at the estate….no chemicals in the vineyards or the cellar, wild ferments in open cement vats, bugger all sulphur and the wine ages for between 18-24 months.

Slightly turbid, medium red/purple hues with enticing aromas of black cherry, blackberry and red plum flourishes. Plenty of underlying aromatic complexity with hints of mediterranean herbs, minerals, tobacco, spice and dried flowers. A very attractive, pure smelling wine.

On the palate it is medium-bodied….again with pure black fruits….cherry, blackberry and plum with underlying spice, leather, tobacco, herbs. licorice and minerals. Quite silky in texture….a fairly calm wine but one with a refreshing streak of Frappato acidity scything through the richness of the Nero D’Avola fruit. Not particularly long of finish but the balance is impeccable, the wines freshness and structure very appealing and it is just a great drinking wine.

Ohhh yeah….the Classico designation on the label…..like many other regions of Italy, refers to the original “heart” of the DOCG and applies to wines produced within a designated area regardless of any expansion of the DOC or DOCG that has taken place (in this case it was granted DOC status in 1976 and enlarged in 1995 before gaining DOCG status in 2005)……one difference here is the wines labelled as Classico have to be aged for a minimum of 18 months compared to the nine months prescribed for the standard Cerasuolo di Vittoria.

Great stuff and if you haven’t had a peek at the vinous offerings from Sicily this is a fine point to start that journey……it’s as sleek and sexy as a Cooper MK04

Sleek & Sexy