2018 Nicolò Grippaldi Rosso 'Dei Pinti'

Sicily, Italy

This young biodynamic producer is brand new to the US- we're one of the very first to carry his wines.

80% Nero d'Avola, 20% Nerello Mascalese, grown on vineyards planted in 2015 on Nicolò's great-grandfather's abandoned land in Gagliano Castelferrato, a small village 651 metres above sea level in the province of Enna. 

The grapes were hand-harvested and carried to the winery in small (10kg) boxes to prevent breakage. The grapes were left in pre-fermentative maceration for 2 days and once the alcoholic fermentation was completed, there was a post-fermentative maceration of about a month. After the destemming, grapes ferment in small tanks with native yeast under uncontrolled temperature. During maceration, which lasts 10-12 days, daily breaking up of the marc are carried out by manual punching down. After the racking, malolactic fermentation is carried out 700 liter oak tonneaux with indigenous lactic bacteria.

Unique, complex and mouthfilling, this has exotic aromas of spiced black cherry mixed perfectly with notes of vanilla and cinnamon and just a hint of sweet balsamic. The wine is so dense in the mouth, with loads of concentrated black forest fruit and blueberries and some serious tannins providing a backbone to the richness of fruit here. The fresh acidity keeps everything buoyant. Really an amazing wine here- Nicolò says it has "a dream-like power and persistence."