Country: Italy  Region: Sicily  Vintage: 2018 Category: Red Wine  Color: Red Producer: Cento Cavalli "Cento Cavalli is also made by Alana McGettigan and Matt Thomson in the hills outside of Trapani. The best sites on the estate's vineyards are reserved for Nero d'Avola and Grillo. Alana selects the best fruit from these vineyards for our Cento Cavalli wines, which are made in the modern and well equipped winery. Grillo is probably Sicily's best white grape. It was said to add structure to Marsala, but this wine, carefully grown and vinified, also shows just how aromatic and delicate it can be. Unoaked, it has a lovely lime zest character on the nose, full yet balanced fruit on the palate and a fresh and lifted character on the finish. The Nero d'Avola is fresh and ripe, full and fleshy with a dark plum and chocolate character and grainy tannins. Given the quality, both wines offer exceptional value for money." Winemaker: Alana McGettigan Vineyards: The vineyards are in the hills outside Trapani, Western Sicily in the Erice region, close to the town of Fulgatore. Most of the vineyards are on a gentle slope, with tilled terra rossa soil, at an altitude ranging between 200-400 metres. The vines are trained in the guyot system. Vinification: Grapes were machine harvested and transported to the winery where they were crushed, destemmed and put into temperature controlled stainless steel fermenters. The fruit was inoculated for fermentation which lasted around five days at a maximum temperature of 30°C, then pumped over very gently several times a day. In order to control the extraction of the harsher tannins, the pump-overs were reduced at the end of ferment. The wine was then pressed gently and underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was shipped to Verona shortly after fermentation and stored in temperature-controlled tanks before bottling. Tasting Notes: Dark in colour with a fresh and ripe nose and hints of liquorice. On the palate it is full and fleshy with grainy tannins and a dark plum and chocolate character. Food Suggestion: A great match with spicy spaghetti puttanesca, grilled Italian sausages or the popular Sicilian arancini. Closure: Stelvin  ABV: 14%