Gulfi NeroMaccarj 2017
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This dense and powerful wine should be paired with meat, high quality poultry, or dishes where the wine's acidity, accompanied by a concentrated and compact tannic flavor will contrast and penetrate the meat fibres without disintegrating them. The dense tannic texture would pair excellently with spicy or heavily spiced dishes, such as traditional castrato Abruzzese sauce, as well as hard cheeses that have been aged for a long time.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Sweet-berry and cinnamon aromas follow through to a medium body with light yet fine tannins and a bright, fresh finish. From organically grown grapes. Really delicious now, but will improve with age.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aged for two years in tonneaux, the Gulfi 2017 NeroMàccarj (made with organic fruit) shows rich intensity and lots of aromatic power despite the wine's contained fruit weight. Like other Sicilian reds from the hot and dry 2017 vintage, there is ample sweetness here and plenty of the fleshy, ripe fruit that characterizes this vintage. The NeroMàccarj is Nero d'Avola from a 2.5-hectare site with a mix of calcareous clay soils that allow for even fruit ripening. This release of 6,300 bottles would pair nicely next to a plate of breaded veal steak.
Other Vintages
2016-
Suckling
James
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Spectator
Wine
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Spectator
Wine
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Parker
Robert
Etna makes Sicily different and makes the difference between the two Sicilies: Western and Eastern. It’s Etna that makes Sicily different and that makes the difference between Western and Eastern Sicily. In front of the tallest active volcano in Europe one can not remain indifferent. The Mountain is, for us from Eastern Sicily, a reference. Our Reseca is the offspring of an old alberlli vineyard in the area of Randazzo, on the northern side of Etna, which encloses the peculiarity and uniqueness of this territory and its mainland climate. It takes strength from the primordial volcanic earth and the indigenous vine "Nerello Mascalese" that is cultivated in "alberello" style: an ancient example of winemaking culture.
Boldly opulent and robust, Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s most widely planted red grape. Nero d’Avola performs well both as a single varietal bottling and in blends. It loves hot, arid climates and Sicily's old vines are aptly head-trained close to the ground, making them resistant to strong winds. A few pioneering producers in California as well as Australia farm Nero d’Avola in the same way. Somm Secret—Nero d’Avola's other name, Calabrese, suggests origins from the mainland region of Calabria.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.