Nero d'Avola

The winery Sallier de la Tour is since 2009 in the possession of the counts Tasca and thus the fifth enterprise, which complements and constitutes the variety and professionalism of the probably most famous winery of Sicily. Deep dark red, spices and a fine liquorice note in the nose. Impressive fruit and freshness on the palate, the discreet use of wood gives it concentration, backbone, velvety elegance and a good future. SUPERIORE.DE

"I love the spicy complexity to this nero d’avola, which is far from all about its boisterous cherries. Think tamarind, dried cumin and rosemary. Juicy and succulent on the full-bodied palate, where the tannins take on a soft, fleshy appeal, drawing in layers of exuberant blackberries and deeper accents of tar." James Suckling

2019 is the debut vintage for the first single-varietal La Segreta Rosso. Ruby red colour with violet reflections. On the nose, varietal aromas of ripe plums, cocoa, wild fruits and a flawless spiciness with traces of white smoke. On the palate, full and wide and of beautiful juiciness with very soft, well-integrated tannins and a beautiful, finely spicy finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling ruby red with brightening rim. Fine roasted aromas meet the nose, fresh cedars, small red berries, cranberries, a hint of rosemary. Lively on the palate, shows fine embedded tannins in interplay with the acidity, animating, juicy, runs narrowly together at the back, reverberates distinctly fruity." Falstaff

pepherbs, florals and hints of wild strawberry lift up from the 2019 Nero d'Avola La Segreta. It's soft and juicy in nature, with a smoky display of ripe red berries offset by a twang of spiced citrus. Violets, lavender and hints of pomegranate linger long, as this tapers off savory and classically dry." Vinous

Pure Nero d'Avola, named after Lago di Disueri, a lake in the province of Caltanissetta in the middle of Sicily. Deep dark red, intensely fragrant of dark fruits with a hint of eucalyptus. Powerful and round on the palate, supple and long. SUPERIORE.DE

"Dark ruby. In the nose of ripe cherries, dark chocolate and wild berries. Fresh and crisp on the palate, showing young fruit and crisp acidity, glides along finely." Falstaff

"A fine-tannined and pretty-fruited nero d'avola with black-cherry and blueberry character and some citrus. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. In check, but open." James Suckling

The Nero d'Avola grapes come from vines up to 30 years old from the Noto region. Animatingly delicate fruity notes of pineapple and raspberry. Round, full and wonderfully drinkable on the palate, with beautiful fruit, spice and a cool, fresh final. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2020 Rose di Nere, a varietal Nero d'Avola, is a vibrant golden color and offers an extroverted bouquet that mixes dried peaches, mangos and nectarines with sweet exotic spice. This is soft and enveloping, delivering ripe orchard fruits complemented by hints of ginger, as sweet inner florals form toward the close. For all of its intensity and fruit-forward character, this finishes pleasantly refreshing and poised." Vinous

"Enticing nose of cherry and orange blossoms, red-peach skins and something bright and green, almost caper-like. Medium-bodied with good focus and balance, leading to a finish that embraces both the fruity and savory notes. Leaves you with a distinctive, fresh-caper aftertaste. Delicious." James Suckling

Rich ruby-violet colour, very clear and intense bouquet with strong notes of dark fruits and a hint of violets. Juicy, fresh with lots of ripe berry fruit on the palate. Round, supple and dense with a fruity-salty final. SUPERIORE.DE

Delightful cuvée based on Nero d'Avola. Ruby red with vivid garnet reflections. In the intensive fragrance allusions of tobacco, spices and mineral notes. The balanced flavour, marked by red fruits, impresses on the palate with blackberry and sour cherry tones and final with a good length. SUPERIORE.DE

The classic among the Sicilian red wines - lively and fresh like the sunny island from which it comes. Bright ruby red in the glass, it spoils the nose with a beautifully fruity, deep bouquet. Clear currant notes and almost sweet fruit on the tongue, then on the palate the strong fruity body with silky tannins. A well-balanced Nero d'Avola that gives a lot of pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

Delicate salmon pink. Fragrant notes of citrus, rose petals and strawberries on the nose. In the mouth, it has a beautiful minerality, a crispness and freshness. A good dose of acidity and above all its very low residual sugar predestine it to be a characterful and racy companion to light fish and vegetable dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2020 Rosé di Morgante is peachy and floral with sweet spices and a hint of fresh mint. This Nero d'Avola Rosato impresses further with an energetic display on the palate that mixes ripe orchard fruits with zesty acids and salty mineral tones. A bit more length would win this another point in my corner; that said, it's hard to complain following the mouthwatering and cool-toned finale." Vinous

"A pretty pink color and a lovely nose of strawberries and raspberries. Medium-bodied with a super-clean, fruity palate. Hint of almond cream at the end." James Suckling

Dark, concentrated Nero d'Avola with a rich bouquet, inviting, intense raspberry fruit and sweet tannin. A full-bodied red with nice spice and a great value. SUPERIORE.DE

"Wild peppery herbs and flowers waft up from the 2018 Nero d'Avola. This impresses with a soothing display of ripe black fruits, enlivened by vibrant acidity. Purple-tinged inner florals form toward the close. Salty mineral tones, blackberries and hints of sour citrus linger long as this tapers off with a bitter twang. The 2018 is harmonious and very easy to like. It may not be a wine for the cellar, but it will certainly win a lot of hearts right out of the gate." Vinous

Bianco di Morgante is a pure Nero d'Avola. The typical Sicilian red grape, however, was vinified without contact with the skins, resulting in this very successful and exceptionally finessed white wine. Silky and shiny, this experimental wine captivates with balance, freshness and lightness. SUPERIORE.DE

"A rich and spicy display of dried apple and nectarine is offset by honeyed florals as the 2020 Bianco di Morgante opens up in the glass. This is soft in feel, with juicy acids and notes of zesty citrus that keep the energy high throughout. Young peach, mango and salty minerals linger as the Bianco di Morgante tapers off with cheek-puckering freshness. Very nice." Vinous

"Aromas and flavors of apples and lemons, with a hint of bread crust. Almost full-bodied, clean and fruity. Very pleasant to drink now." James Suckling

Sherazade - beautiful protagonist from One Thousand and One Nights and wonderful Nero d'Avola. Concentrated ruby red colour, fruity, balsamic scent with mineral tones followed by a sweet hint of cocoa. Gentle on the palate with memories of sour cherries and blackberries. SUPERIORE.DE

"The mid-weight Donnafugata 2019 Sicilia Nero d'Avola Sherazade is rich and softly textured with blackberry and dried plum. There is a lot about this wine that reminds me of a Syrah with soft tannins and a rich embroidery of ripe fruit flavors with spice and tobacco. Even the wine's name recalls the eastern roots of this well-traveled Mediterranean variety that shares much in common with Sicily's Nero d'Avola, but some burnt hazelnut aromas and black olive remind you of the wine's true all-Sicilian DNA. This vintage offers especially good value." Robert Parker

Plumbago is a single-varietal Nero d'Avola: Rich ruby-violet colour, powerful, slightly reductive bouquet with aromas of dark cherries, raspberries and some rosemary. Smooth, soft and almost light on the palate, beautiful blueberry notes and well-dosed tannin. SUPERIORE.DE

The fermentation of this fine Marsala is interrupted by the enrichment with brandy aged for at least 5 years in oak barrels. Intense ruby red. Very fruity bouquet of black cherry, pomegranate and plum. In the long, full taste sweet with present red fruit, cherry and again pomegranate. SUPERIORE.DE

Wonderfully fresh Nero d'Avola style without any trace of heaviness or breadth. Lots of juicy cherry and blackberry fruit on the palate. Opens with an appealing hint of fresh berries and a spicy note. Lean and elegant, yet with plenty of flavour, depth and dense texture. A potential favourite wine with a very Mediterranean profile. SUPERIORE.DE

Wonderful entry into the Gulfi world: precise aromas of red sour cherries, stone minerals and aromatic herbs. Fresh and juicy, with a delicate spicy note and a refreshing aftertaste in the long finish. A lovely, almost weightless red wine with a convincing fruit component and wonderful drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

The country dance (controdanza) is a typical dance in which man and woman face each other and unite in graceful movements - depending on their gender, the dancers interpret the music in their own way. This wine is exactly the same: Nero d'Aola and Merlot - as is well known, opposites attract and, with the right intuition, can adjust wonderfully to each other, forming harmony and contrast at the same time.

Strong purple. Mulberry and plum contrast with incense and balsamic notes. The grapes all come from calcareous soils, which again bridges the gap and makes this young wine balancing and harmonious. Soft tannins and beautifully integrated delicate acidity carry Controdanza into a smooth, medium-length finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Minerally up front, with lots of tarry smoke and hot stone on the nose, notes that underscore the palate's dried raspberry, singed orange peel and tobacco flavors. Medium- to full-bodied and gusty, with a firm, focused finish." Wine Spectator

"Aromas of smoke, dried cherries, mushrooms and hints of eucalyptus. It's medium-to full-bodied with plenty of earthy, umami notes and citrus peel. Light tannins." James Suckling

Zisola, from the eponymous winery of the Mazzei family in Sicily, is an exceptionally well-made single-varietal Nero d'Avola. Elegantly shining ruby red with a delicately lightening rim. In the flattering fruit bouquet, ripe forest berries and rose hips, lightly reminiscent of blood orange with a hint of cocoa. Juicy and clear on the palate with hearty red fruit, powerful and soft on the final. SUPERIORE.DE

"Bright ruby red. In the nose of cranberries, oranges, cherries, gentle spice in the aftertaste. On the palate with red berry fruit, compact body, hearty, slightly consuming tannin in the final." Falstaff

"The 2019 Noto Rosso is youthfully poised yet very pretty, showing peppery florals, wet stone, black currants and smoke. This is silky in texture with motivating acidity and a cooling blend of savory herbs and tart wild berries. There’s a density and concentration here that is currently held in check by fine tannins, as the 2019 finishes incredibly long, resonating on dark fruits and hints of licorice. Give this a year or two of cellaring to show its best." Vinous

"Brimming with red and black berries, this is an attractively fresh and dry, medium-bodied Sicilian red with touches of licorice and black tea. Rather long, pleasantly dry finish." James Suckling

"The Zisola 2019 Sicilia Noto Zisola is a pure expression of Nero d'Avola from Noto, one of the most beautiful corners of Sicily, with Baroque architecture expressed in white limestone. The wine shows a sweet side that is carried forth by ripe cherry and dried raspberry. This vintage is focused on the fruity side of this mighty Sicilian grape and less so on the earthy or savory tones that you sometimes get with Nero d'Avola. You could pair it with any Southern Italian pasta with tomato sauce, especially a recipe with fried eggplant and shaved ricotta salata." Robert Parker

True to the house style, Nerojbleo offers a generous load of ripe fruit with maraschino cherry and blackberry jam at the centre. Its texture is dense, soft and carried by a slight sweetness. A juice and power package with a nice drinking flow and a typical Gulfi interpretation of the grape variety. SUPERIORE.DE

Nero di Lupo is - in contrast to many other single-varietal Nero d'Avola - a fresh and rather light wine, but no less interesting. Intense aroma of sour cherries and herbs, the bright, friendly taste is exceedingly fruity, lively and silky. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep dark ruby. Powerful nose of plums, red berries, black cherry and eucalyptus. Warm, persistent and balsamic aftertaste of plums, red berries and a fine rosemary note. The finish is long and complex. SUPERIORE.DE

"Intense blackcurrant and creamy vanilla aromas. Black fruits, eucalyptus and leather palate with weight and flavour. Authentic without being showy." Decanter

100% Nero d'Avola yields a dense ruby-violet colour and a fresh bouquet with rich fruity notes of dark cherries, honey and some grenadine. Doppiozeta unfolds explosively and finesse-rich on the palate, with a velvety tannin and very appealing length. SUPERIORE.DE

"Shiny, luminous ruby. Opens with cool herbal notes, of geranium, sage and white pepper, then plums. Very juicy on the palate, polished tannin, fresh and clear, lots of cherry fruit." Falstaff

"A pretty red with juicy fruit, hints of sour cherries and fresh herbs. Light earth. Medium body, round tannins and a flavorful finish." James Suckling

"Deep ruby-red. Vinous aromas of cherry, blackcurrant and tobacco. Clean and fresh, but also sweet and round, with very smooth tannins and floral flavors nicely framed by harmonious acidity. In a distinctly easygoing style, perhaps more so than I remember in the past, finishing with good persistent floral perfume. This is a selection of Nero d'Avola that spent 16 months in barriques." Vinous

Strong, bright ruby red. This one hundred percent Nero d'Avola is a captivating wine with its rich, fruity-spicy aroma of blackcurrants, cherries, undergrowth, liquorice and dark chocolate. The soft but firm, warm taste of ripe berry fruit, the fine spiciness and the noble tannin inspire us very much. SUPERIORE.DE

"Welcome to the modern face of Sicily's deep wine tradition. The bouquet of black plum with licorice and spice notes pulls you into this rich but beautifully balanced nero d'avola with velvety tannins that build gently through the long, polished finish." James Suckling