Acclaim

“The 2014 Rosso Antonello is a blend of Calabrese, Sangiovese and Corinto Nero, aged in barrique. The wine opens to an inky dark appearance. The bouquet is profoundly Sicilian in character with black fruit followed by eggplant, caper and olive. In the mouth, the wine delivers a lot of pulp and texture. Indeed, it finishes with semi-sweet succulence.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“The 2016 Malvasia Delle Lipari (packaged in a 500-milliliter bottle) is a forthcoming and beautifully intense dessert wine from a small satellite island off the northern coast of Sicily. The wine shows a dark golden color with radiant amber highlights. The bouquet is beautifully opulent and generous with candied orange peel, sweet almond paste, dried apricot and honey. In the mouth, this wine is silky, thick and beautifully rich. This really is something special. Malvasia delle Lipari is never a cloying or overdone dessert wine. Indeed, it is one of Italy’s most elegant dessert wines.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“I preferred the Naturale version of this wine to the 2015 Malvasia delle Lipari Passito. Packaged in a 500-milliliter bottle, this dessert wine (made with air-dried grapes) shows a more determined and forceful nature. It opens to powerful aromas of dried fruit and apricot, and there is a musky note that reminds me of air-dried porcino mushroom. The wine shows bright orange color. It finishes with silky texture that is infused with honey-like flavors.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“The 2017 Peloro Bianco is a fresh blend of 65% Grillo and 35% Carricante (with 15,000 bottles made). In essence, the wine offers a salty, mineral-driven bouquet with crushed oyster shell or beach stones. There is some fruit in the form of white peach and grapefruit, but it takes a background role. The lean mouthfeel is incredibly sharp and focused.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“Representing a 70-30 blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nocera, the 2016 Peloro Rosso is a charming wine with a lot of authentic character that you would never find in a wine made outside of the fabulous Mediterranean island and cultural crossroads that is Sicily. This is a tangy and raw wine that offers tension and energy to the palate. It ages in tonneaux for six months. Dark fruit aromas segue to olive, spice, ashy smoke and forest bramble. Some 15,000 bottles were made. You get great value here.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“The 2017 Nerello Mascalese Rosematte delivers absolutely everything you should expect of an informal rosé to drink with appetizers, finger foods or sushi. It opens to a light and luminous pink color and shows aromas of wild berry, cassis and briny mineral. The wine is lean in texture, crisp in acidity and almost salty in taste. Some 6,000 bottles were made, and you get excellent value here.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“Le Casematte’s 2016 Faro represents a traditional blend of 55% Nerello Mascalese, 25% Nerello Cappuccio, 10% Nocera and 10% Nero d’Avola. These four grapes are radically different from one another yet they reach a place of impeccable balance in this wine. Both the Nerello Cappuccio and the Nocera add tangy aromas of crushed white pepper. The Nero d’Avola adds subtle tones of roasted fennel seed and green caper. Lastly, the Nerello Mascalese adds tar, smoke and dusty ash. Some 10,000 bottles were made.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“The 2017 Etna Bianco Archineri shows a mild and subtle bouquet with distant tones of crushed mineral followed by dried citrus, white apricot and dried sage. That subtle personality grows with time, and the wine needs a little extra time to open. It goes from citrus and grapefruit to crushed stone, yellow rose and honeysuckle. The finish is lean but zesty and crisp. Old vines are used to make this wine, some as old as 130 years old. Only 3,000 bottles were produced.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“The 2016 Etna Rosso Archineri is made with fruit from pre-phylloxera vines aged up to 90 years old. This is a finessed and nuanced expression from a vintage that threw a few curve balls to vintners on Etna where the climate and temperatures can change at the drop of a dime. The finish is shorter compared to vintages of the recent past, but this mid-weight red is very articulate in terms of its aromatic offerings. It shows small-berry aromas with lilac, spice and wild blueberry. Some 7,000 bottles were made.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, Dec. 31, 2018

“Subtle but alluring aromas of wild berry, fragrant blue flower and menthol come together on this. It’s elegant and structured, evoking succulent Marasca cherry, orange zest, star anise and a flinty mineral note alongside polished tannins.” -Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 31, 2018