Cantina Marilina 'Sikele' Nero d'Avola 2020

Many may recognize the label from their popular white wine.But like myself you may not have had the pleasure of trying this lively Nero d’Avola from the winemaking team of sisters Marilina and Federica Paternò of Cantina Marilina.

Their father Angelo handed them the reins of the 60 hectare estate on a hill that was formerly known as Poggio dei Fossi in the southeastern Sicilian province of Siracusa, near the town of Pachino, where he thought the land was one of the best viticulture areas in Sicily. They have been organic since 2001, practice polyculture to nurture and enrich the ecosystem of their vineyard, and take sustainable measures to use recyclable materials and packaging wherever possible.

The Sikele Rosso 2018 is from organic Nero d’Avola grown on limestone and harvested by hand. Fermentation is spontaneous and carried out in concrete vats, aged in concrete for 8 months and bottle aged for 3 months. The wine is unfined, unfiltered with minimal sulfur added. 

Freshness is the first thing that comes to mind while thinking about how to describe this wine. I think of freshly picked raspberries and volcanic soil on the nose, followed by beautiful fresh and juicy tannins, macerated black and blue fruits, volcanic minerality, balanced with a bit of restraint on the fruit and vibrant refreshing acidity that keeps the energy flowing.  Jeremy Hernandez