Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the treasure of Sicily

Ihave long been fascinated by the beautiful island of Sicily and after a dozen trips there in the last 30 years, I have watched its wine scene revive itself from big bulk supplier to a serious fine wine hub.

One wine I have always admired is Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the island’s only DOCG. Whenever I put this red wine into a tasting – not just from one producer, but several different producers from Donnafugata, Tenuta Santa Tresa to Planeta – it often comes out as the winning wine.

I think the reason for this is that Cerasuolo di Vittoria, made from 50-70 per cent nero d’avola grape with the remainder made up of the frappato grape, is often more approachable, texturally soft and appealing than Sicily’s famously minerally earthier reds made from nerello mascalese on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna. According to winemaker and winery owner Stefano Girelli, who actually comes from Trentino in northern Italy but fell in love with the island and moved to south-east Sicily 20 years ago, the key to Cerasuolo di Vittoria’s style is the soils – and organic viticulture. According to Girelli, nero d’avola grape (known locally as calabrese) is well-known for its black fruit and mouthwatering acidity, but in Vittoria is it gentler with softer tannins. Frappato is quite a lightweight humble grape, but it performs at its best on the sandy peninsula. Frappato has a delightful freshness, similar to gamay; it acts as an aromatic softener in the blend. At a recent tasting, it was fascinating to see the diversity of styles.

With such a variety of different microclimates – altitudes ranging from down to sea level up to 600 metres – some wines we tasted like Tenuta Santa Tresa, Horus and Donnafugata’s examples were beautifully soft, whilst others more robust, powerful and structured with firm tannins like Terre di Giurfo’s Maskaria and Cortese’s Sabuci.

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria ‘Floramundi’ 2018 Donnafugata

Delicate refined red fruits, hints of floral with fine grained tannins – very approachable unoaked style.

£25, Fine Wine Musselburgh; North & South Wines

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria ‘La Selezione Sabuci’ 2017 Azienda Agricola Cortese

Aged in terracotta amphora; spicy developed aromas, rich black cherry fruit, quite robust masculine and intense on the palate, moderate length.

£20, Aitken Wines, Dundee; Jeroboams; The Vineking; Topsham Wines

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria 2019 Planeta

Attractive light unoaked style with savoury red fruits, meaty and peppery – pure cherry fruits, hints of pomegranate, soft and appealing from Planeta’s historic low-lying Dorilli vineyards.

£16.79, Valvona & Crolla, Edinburgh; Luvians, St Andrews; Fareham Wine Cellar

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria 2018 Santa Tresa

GREAT VALUE

One of my favourites in the tasting – beautifully aromatic with soft red fruits and a slightly peppery quality with a vibrant freshness and fruit purity. It carries its 14 per cent alcohol very well. A remarkably well-priced wine.

£10.99-£11.99, Costo, Ocado, Bottleneck; North South Wines

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria Classico 2017 Azienda Agricola Cos

Beautifully scented, rich and dense with dark cassis and plum fruits. It has quite a structural style with earthy notes from a blend of oaked nero d’avola and tank-aged frappato. Cos is a leading producer set up by three schoolfriends.

£24, Buon Vino; Exel Wines; Noble Green Wines; The Sourcing Table

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria 2017 Tenuta Valle delle Ferle

Lifted cherry fruits, soft rounded palate, smooth tannins – but acid quite prominent.

£20, not currently available in UK

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria Pittore Condadino 2018 Cantina Horus

STAR BUY

Another of my favourites from Sicily – this is very attractive with deliciously spicy, bright cherry fruits, earthy notes, soft and approachable. A beautifully labelled organic example made by the Giudice family. Let’s hope it is available soon with UK merchants.

£23, not currently available in UK

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria Makaria 2017 Terre di Giurfo

This has rich cherry fruits and is initially fruit forward with firm tannins, though it is a little austere on the finish.

£13, not currently available in UK

Join Rose’s Southern Italian wine & charcuterie masterclass in Edinburgh on 7 July, www.rosemurraybrown.com