Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/490558
54 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2015 Adrian wanted the wine with "anything grilled. Great for a beach BBQ—grilled seafood, grilled pork." Mike concluded "You could have a million things with that wine because it's like Pinot but a little bit more. That wine is universal." A red blend, Microcosmo Rosso IGT, was also lauded for its compatibility with food. Asked how he would sell it tableside, Mike responded, "I'd say, 'Listen to me; this is what you're eating, this is what you should drink. Trust me.' " For whites, Cusumano's Insolia (Sicily IGT) pleased for its easy-drinking style, supported with citrus aromatics, salinity and a pithy palate—"a really lovely raciness" said Liz, and "a no-brainer for seafood" said Adrian. Overall, the panel found Sicily's DOCs less uniform. Though it had a heavier style, the silky and sophisticated tannins and slate notes of Planeta's Eruzione 1614 (Nerello Mascalese) expressed "classic Etna" (another option for Pinot drinkers). A fruit-driven Frappato from Vittoria reminded Mike of a Beaujolais. Two side-by-side Nero d'Avalos showed earthy and herbal notes with some "sweat and brett," something Liz thought could "coax Zinfandel, Malbec or big California cab-drinkers over." We tasted one Calabrian wine, a Gaglioppo considered a good entry-level by-the-glass selection, and a Falanghina from Puglia that failed to express the terroir our tasters had come to expect. (Another entrant from Puglia was corked and could not be evaluated.) A pair of Aglianicos from Basilicata were considered balanced and fruit-driven, laced with spices. Whereas the Gudarrà Bisceglia was redolent of cinnamon and other baking spices, the Re Manfredi's Serpara was "exoti- cally spiced—like a Moroccan bazaar." Mike was enthused by the progression, and found a kin- ship between the two wines. "I found a connective thread with the other Agliancico—and that's terroir. That is totally terroir and that is cool," he said. Two Agliancico wines from the Vulturi DOC were more elegant than two Taurasi DOCGs that followed, the latter expressing more baked fruits and herbal qualities. While the panel felt the Feudi di San Gregorio 2010 was shy and needed more time, the Radici Mastrobernardino 2006 was musky and show- ing tertiary notes. A Campanian white from Greco di Tufo DOCG had both mineral and lees notes. Sarah called it the ideal compromise wine: "It's like my mom is Chardonnay and I'm Sauvignon Blanc, and this is the kind of wine we could agree on." TASTING THE SOUTH Tasca d'Almerita 2013 Grillo Cavallo delle Fate, Sicilia DOC ($20) Heavier minerality, richer stone fruits, yellow flowers, some hazelnut. Lacked expression of place, but "would work [with food] where the wine wasn't the main focus." WINEBOW Planeta 2012 Eruzione 1614, Sicilia DOC (Etna) ($35) Sweet red fruit domi- nated this 100% Nerello Mascalese, which showed some heat, but also good dusty, granular tannins. "A heavier, fatter" entry from Etna. PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL RUNNER UP: Marilena Barbera 2010 "Microcosmo" Rosso, Sicily IGT ($26) Fresh cherry blend of 90% Perricone, 10% Nerello Mascalese; great layers of flavor. The panel wanted to drink this with mushroom dishes, grilled fish with black olives. T. EDWARDS WINES Frappato 2013 Paternó di Vittoria, Vittoria DOC (Sicily) ($24) Simple, fresh, high-toned and smoky; some V.A. notes; some fruity sweetness, lower tannins, but in check. GOLDEN RAM IMPORTS Tenuta Rapitalá 2012 Nero d'Avola, Sicilia DOC ($23) Modern style wine with concentrated fruit; some "Châteauneuf qualities" with its herbal and sweaty notes, wild. Good "conversion wine" for Merlot, Zinfandel and Malbec drinkers. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Cusumano 2013 Nero d'Avola, Sicily IGT ($12) Clean style, hint of meatiness and enough bitterness to elevate it. "A Nero that a wine person could drink." TERLATO WINE GROUP Statti 2013 Gaglioppo, Calabria IGT ($15) "Alcohol with a finesse; suggestive of Pinot Noir without the depth. Good entry level wine." VIAS IMPORTS Alberto Longo 2012 Le Fosette, Puglia IGT (San Severo) ($23) 100% Falanghina with more sulphur than expression of place. T. EDWARDS WINES Feudi di San Gregorio 2013 Greco di Tufo DOCG (Campania) ($22) Fresh and crowd-pleasing; ideal for converting Chardonnay drinkers, but easy to get lost on a big list. "Will only make its mark on an all Italian list." PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL RUNNER UP: Bisceglia 2009 Gudarrà, Aglianico del Vulture DOC (Basilicata) ($25) A steel-fermented and oak-aged (12 months) 100% Aglianico showing dominant baking spice notes that somewhat overshadowed the plummy fruit, but still within balance. "For the bargain Taurasi drinker." WINEBOW Taurasi 2010, Feudi di San Gregorio, Taurasi DOCG (Campania) ($40) A shy wine of 100% Aglianico with dark fruits and spices, but "not [yet] really showing what it is; still withholding things" . . . "the quality is there, but built to age." PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL Radici 2006, Mastrobernardino Taurasi Riserva DOCG (Campania) ($75) Expressed both a late-harvest ripeness and an open-knit quality; "fun and fruity, musky and spicy." "Once you get through the jam, you can pick up a lot more nuances." WINEBOW GROUP