12 June 2009

2004 Mandrarossa Nero d'Avola

Looking at the e-mail I've received over the years, I'd have to say the biggest category is comprised of questions about weird little $5 wines I tasted four years ago. As in, "Where can I find this wine in Delaware?" and "Can you arrange a tour of the winery and send me a case of this no-name Merlot from California that hasn't been made in half a decade?" I always respond politely, I never imagined that merely spelling the names of these wines correctly would make this site the top result in Google searches.

A close second, surprisingly enough, would be my 2008 review of a Nero d'Avola, a lesser-known Sicilian grape that is growing in popularity, though distribution is still small. At least twice a month I get an e-mail asking about this grape, and the traffic to that post is consistently heavy.

I decided it was time to write about another, so I picked up a bottle of the 2004 Mandrarossa Nero d'Avola.
from Sicily, $15, 13.5% abv. Deep, dark red, firm tannins, black cherry and a hint of cedar. It softens up with some time and air, but it's definitely a rich and full-bodied red wine. The low alcohol is a refreshing change from some similar powerful reds, allowing you to focus on the unique character of the grape. I served it with some New York-style floppy pizza full of various pork products. Lord have mercy, what a combination. I've had these wines with burgers, hanger steak, calzones... It pairs well with manly bar food for those times when you're not in the mood for a draught of dark stout.

There are a handful of other Sicilian wines trickling into the mainstream market these days, so if you're interested in trying something that's not too bizarre but is also a little unfamiliar, keep an eye out for the big island south of the boot.

11 comments:

TWC said...

I've had the opportunity to try two of these wines since you asked me about them in December. Course I can't recall either of them but I like. :-)

fredric koeppel said...

nero d'avola and big meaty pizza are made for each other.

Benito said...

TWC,

It's a great deep dark red when you're ready for a change of pace from Petit Sirah.

Fredric,

Up in Cleveland, at Bar Cento, I had the pleasure of drinking a Nero d'Avola with a pizza topped with locally made lamb sausage. It was incredible.

Cheers,
Benito

Thomas @ the blog wine cellar said...

I love Nero d'Avola and think it's a wine that is way under valued many times. I especially like the one from Colosi. If you ask me the grape reminds me a bit of Syrah but it's not as thick and is a bit dryer. Anyway's thanks for the savvy review! Cheers

Benito said...

Thomas,

I'll keep an eye out for the Colosi... this grape needs some more love.

Cheers,
Benito

Michael Hughes said...

The Colosi retails for about $14 around Memphis. Pretty good juice. The Cusumano Nero d'Avola is my favorite. Did you participate in the Thursday tasting with the Kunde?

Benito said...

Michael,

I missed out on the Thursday tasting this week, and unfortunately I'll be hosting the tasting on the 25th, same night as your West Coast wine tasting. However, if you've still got any of that "world's best rosé" I'll try to swing by Joe's next week.

Cheers,
Benito

Michael Hughes said...

We have a few bottles left. It's so very good.

Big Mike said...

Well I might as well put in my two cents worth. Feudo Arancio Nero d'Avola for about $8 is as good as I have tasted in a while for the money..

Benito said...

Mike,

Feudo Arancio has a great product line. Affordable wines with attractive, readable labels--I remember seeing some Sicilian wines a few years ago that were either all in Italian or broken English, but lately there seems to be an effort to make them more accessible to American consumers.

This problem persists with a lot of Greek wines that I've seen, but I imagine as they become more popular we'll see better labeling.

Cheers,
Benito

ramblinwino.com said...

Good post! I would like to sample a bunch of Sicilian wines. Do you have any additional recommendations?