Grotte Alte Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG Classico 2016

This Cerasuolo di Vittoria comes from the single vineyard Fossa di Lupo. This is a historic single vineyard that Arianna Occhipinti has been cultivating since 2004. The topsoil is sandy with mineral deposits that colour it partly red, partly brown. After 40 centimetres, one encounters pure limestone. Frappato and Nero d'Avola are grown there in Albarello vines - typical for Vittoria. The vineyard is located on the Monti Iblei, the Hyblaean Mountains in south-eastern Sicily. Aged for 32 months in 25-hectolitre barrels, bottled unfiltered.

Dark cherry red, bright reflections

At first, the cuvée of Frappato and Nero d'Avola makes you think of a traditional Rioja for a short moment. It quickly becomes clear that the aging was done slowly and gently in large barrels and not completely deoxygenated.

The flavors tend from spice and roasted aromas to dark fruit with a maritime finish. So at first something cigar box and delicate roasted aromas come to mind. A pleasant vanilla rounds out this chapter. Blackcurrant, blackberries, plums and sweet cherries represent a whole potpourri of dark fruit. A little violet, almond and iodine also reveal themselves and give the final touch to this multi-faceted nose.

On the palate, the 2016 Grotte Alte then shows crisp tannins. Enormously close-meshed and yet as delicate as silk. It presents itself delicate, taut and precise. With a wonderful acidity, it catapults the inclined connoisseur into another dimension of elegance and depth. The multifaceted nose comes out again here on the whole. Above all, a Christmas spice cake dominates the finish. Great.

For Arianna, this is the epitome of a wine expression of her homeland. The nearby sea, the warm air and the influence of the Hyblaean mountains. And above all, it is a strong piece of wine with a lot of character and originality.