05/12/2010
Island Treasure: Featuring COS
Article appeared in the June 2010 edition of La Cucina Italiana
By ANTHONY GIGLIO

The interest in Sicily to connoisseurs of Italian wine might seem instantaneous, given that not much quality Sicilian wine is exported to the U.S., and really, that little wine of quality was being made there as few as 25 years ago. After World War II, most vineyards on the island were controlled by government-backed co-ops and northern conglomerates that encouraged farmers to pool their resources. The resulting wines were, for the most part, subsidized plonk destined for church chalices and salad dressing, or, more incredibly, shipped north to help bolster thinner wines with more important appellation names. But in the 1970s, the government finally woke up to Sicily’s potential and in 1973 awarded the island’s first DOC to Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Serra-what? I know, Italian can be hard to pronounce. Break the word into three parts, the first being "chair," the second "ah," and for the third, think of "swollen," then replace the "en" with an "o." Got it? You're close enough (even though my wife will still squint at you).

The name Cerasuolo comes from the word cirasa, or cherry in Sicilian dialect, and desribes the wine's "cherry red" color, which is as good a place as any to start describing this wine. In color, aroma and flavor it is brimming with cherries, but there’s much more to the wine. It is, in fact, a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, two very different grapes. I'd gamble that if you're at all familiar with Sicilian red wines you've heard of Nero d'Avola, since it's Sicily's most widely planted grape, as well as its most popular. It typically produces deep, dark, concentrated wines that bring to mind dried fruit (think plum and fig), a hint of spiciness and a food-craving tannic finish.

In Cerasuolo, Nero d’Avola traditionally plays the lead grape, making up 60 percent of the blend, with the remaining 40 percent going to Frappato, a much lighter but highly aromatic red grape that lends Cerasuolo its brilliant, bright color, mouthwatering acidity and telltale cherry aromas. With its sunny disposition, Cerasuolo is sometimes compared with the cherry-scented wines of Chianti Classico, though Chianti's Sangiovese grape is generally more tannic than Nero d'Avola.

In 2005, in response to the increasing quality of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the government elevated it to its highest ranking, from DOC to DOCG. The new DOCG guidelines for Cerasuolo allow winemakers more flexibility in the percentage of their Frappato/Nero d'Avola blend than they had under DOC regulations. This lets winemakers craft their wines with more individuality and gives Cerasuolo a dynamic and exciting character.

...

Cerasuolo di Vittoria’s medium body, anchored by fruit up front, soft tannins and lively acidity in the finish, makes it the perfect wine for Sicilian cuisine, whether paired with fresh-caught roasted tuna with capers and olives, or with a plate of the iconic eggplant- and tomato-based pasta alla Norma.

What dictates the depth of body and richness of these wines has less to do with the grapes than with how they are aged. ... There are those who prefer to go really old school, like COS, who age their wines in terra cotta amphorae, ... modeled on the vessels used by the ancient Greeks, who made wine here two millennia ago. ... With a wine this delicious, Sicilians really don’t need to import anything else.

Suggested Bottle
This juicy, cherry-rich Cerasuolo di Vittoria is a Sicilian jewel. After garnering the island its first DOCG, it has continued to evolve, with the island's group of innovative winemakers give the wine new dimension.

COS "Pithos," Cerasuolo di Vittoria, 2006
The three partners who founded COS started out as hobbyists and wound up creating one of the most well-known wineries in Sicily. Pithos' rich berry nose shows hints of heather, followed by clay, a direct reflection of the terra cotta giare in which it ages for nine months. Juicy, yet powerful, with great aging potential.

Back

©2007 Domaine Select Wine Estates, Inc.