This wine was a gift. It is from Sicily with Cerasuolo di Vittoria having the advantage of being DOCG. Italian DOC wines are the loose equivalent of the French AOC system which basically guarantees quality. The additional ‘G’ means that the wine has been tasted by a government committee and then sealed with a magic number for authenticity. It is already sounding like a good present.

The tasting notes from Planeta state -

‘To drink at once or keep for 4-5 years, following its evolution’

So looks like I got to it just in time. Who knows what creature it may have ‘evolved’ into next year.

The grape blend is 60% Nero d’Avola (a big rich grape) and 40% Frappato (lighter bodied), both very typical Sicilian varieties. The strength is 13% ABV which is not too much of a headache recipe for the next morning.

The bottle is pretty unremarkable to look at. Easily passed by and not at all sophisticated or glamorous. The potential for understated brilliance. Almost shabby chic.

I cut through the thick foil, a long pull of satisfying cork and poured myself a generous glass to accompany a chicken couscous thing I threw together.

The wine was full of life, dry yet fruity, and layered with all sorts of aromas, keeping my subconscious guessing. Really delicious. If you swill it around your mouth then your tongue has that dry tannic feeling, but only for a moment, as the richness of the wine punches through. A really good balance.

I will be searching out more wines from Planeta.

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