Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/844641
THE MESSAGE 20 / the tasting panel / july 2017 PHOTO COURTESY OF TENUTA SETTE PONTI PHOTO: RUSSELL SHINN Dr. Antonio Moretti Cuseri, owner of Sicily's Feudo Maccari and Tenuta Sette Ponti in Tuscany. Sicilian Sun Shines in the Wines of Feudo Maccari S icily continually surprises and delights pal- ates with structurally balanced wines made in its unique terroir from native grape varieties. Ancient volcanic soils, warm, sunshine-filled days and cool, Mediterranean breezes combine for perfect ripening conditions on the southeast corner of the island, where Feudo Maccari produces its wines. The winery specializes in the indigenous red grape Nero d'Avola and produces a small amount of white from the Grillo variety. During a recent visit from the winery's North American Area Manager, Silvio Di Silvio, we tasted Nero d'Avola in three expressions: Feudo Maccari 2016 Rosé (SRP $15), Feudo Maccari 2015 Nero d'Avola (SRP $15) and Feudo Maccari 2012 Saia (SRP $30–$35). The rosé displayed a beautiful weight on the palate with overt fruit and spice—not a shy rosé. The Nero d'Avola exhibited the same fruit and spice in a medium- bodied wine with fresh acidity and easygoing yet discernable tannins. The Saia showcased the serious nature of the grape with a fuller body and assertive tannins while maintaining seduc- tive spice and acidity—a surprising wine for the price. The Grillo, too, impressed with texture on the palate, just-ripe fruits, a nutty component and balancing acidity. Dr. Antonio Moretti Cuseri, owner of Tuscany's distinguished Tenuta Sette Ponti, bought the property in Sicily in the late 1990s. Relying on expert consultation, he trusts wholeheartedly in the island's rich soil, the Nero d'Avola variety and the albarello, or bush vine, trellising of the grape. —Allyson Gorsuch For a Hot Summer Day I t was a typical swel- tering May day in Southern California when I ran into the folks from Angelo Poretti and tasted, along with a table of my clients, a set of delicious and refreshing beers—refreshing not just in terms of cooling the palate but in the sense of, "Oh, I've not had an Italian beer with these diverse styles." Using a special spring water, these 100 percent organic beers share a bright, clean taste profile. Poretti's Luppoli 4 Originale is a hopped Pilsner with a pretty, floral nose accompanied by peach tones—what a delicate beauty. The hoppy Luppoli 5 Bock Chiara has a round body, offering a sense of caramel apple on the nose and mouth. —Meridith May THESE BEERS ARE IMPORTED BY RIBOLI FAMILY WINE ESTATES. Left to right: Marco Campo, Account Manager of Riboli Family Wines; Meridith May, Publisher and Editorial Director of The Tasting Panel; Brewmaster Flavio Boero and Brand Ambassador Gianluca Piazza of Angelo Poretti beer.