Tasting Report: Good Values From Sicily- The Wines of Sicilian Producer Tasca d’ Almerita

Sicily is well known for its sweet Marsala wines, which make up a majority of the wine produced in the DOC wine region. But in recent years, there has been a surge towards producing quality red and white table wines as the global demand for quality wines increases.

The weather in Siciliy is defnitely ideal for growing quality grapes. There is very little rain from March until October, instead it’s hot and dry with winds from the sea cooling things off at night. These ideal conditions, combined with good soil, new winemaking technology, and youthful winemakers are responsible for putting the “new” wines of Sicily in the spotlight. Wine drinkers around the world that seek exotic varietals and unique wines are trying Sicilian wines at every opportunity with many traveling to the region to see what all the fuss is about. And the Sicilian vineyards and wineries can’t get enough attention, with some investing large amounts of money into state-of-the-art tasting rooms and visitor areas.

But what can we expect from these lesser-known wines? Labels with names such as Carricante, Cattarato or Nero D’Avola are popping up on store shelves across the United States and many (especially considering the weak dollar) are priced to be bargains. But before you head out and buy up $12 Sicilian wines by the case, beware that not all producers have caught the “bug”- that is, the hype hasn’t spread to many older vineyards. What this amounts to is a variety of quality at a wide range of pricing.

So far my go-to wines from Sicily are Catarratto (for whites) and Nero D’Avola for reds. The Catarratto makes an aromatic, intense white wine that reminds me of Viognier. These wines generally have good structure and should appeal to those who enjoy full bodied white wines. Nero d’Avola, in contrast, makes a red wine in a lighter style. You may find these to be similar to a Cru Beaujolais with sour cherry, rasberry, and good acidity. I feel both styles of wines would appeal to the masses and because they are generally very moderately priced ($10-15) I’d recommend seeking out a few of each to determine whether they fit your palate.

I recently had a chance to taste through some of the wines by Tasca d’Almerita. This large (around 840 acres), 170 year-old estate is located in the Scalfani countryside between the towns of Palermo and Caltanissatta. The vineyards can be found scattered about the hillsides between elevations of 450-700 meters with the utmost attention given to vineyard spacing and layout. This, combined with a long tradition and history of great winemaking results in some good wines that for the most part are great values.

I was very impressed with the 2006 Tasca d’ Almerita Leone D’Almerita ($15), which brought great aroma’s, flavors and strucutre. The 2006 Tasca d’ Almerita Lamuri Nero D’ Avola was also a very good wine with herb and cocoa nuances highlighting bright fruits and medium tannins. Unfortunately, I missed out on tasting their ‘05 Nero D’Avola Reserva which I have heard very good things about.

I would recommend keeping an eye out for Tasca D’Almerita, and other Sicilian producers when walking the aisles of your local wine shop. There are some good to great values to be found in these very unique and promising wines.

2006 Tasca d’ Almerita Regaleali Bianco ($13): This crisp white is made with 40% Inzolia, 40% Grecanico, and 30% Catarratto. The nose is very appealing with floral notes, lemon zest, grapefruit, and green apple. On the palate the wine brings subtle fruit flavors and very tart acidity. A bit off balance, this wine would be best with a plate of oysters or mussels. My rating: 85 pts, GV

2006 Tasca d’ Almerita Leone D’Almerita ($15): This blend of Catarratto Bianco and Chardonnay really showed off the perfume aroma’s of the Catarrato grape. Floral, fresh, Vioneir-esque nose that led into a apple and lavender on the palate. Good, clean acidity and a crisp finish. My rating: 90 pts, OV (outstanding value)

2006 Tasca d’ Almerita Regaleali Nero D’Avola ($15): Light bodied, sour cherry with dark raspberry. Interesting acidity that is a bit off balance and a weird tartness on the finish. My rating: 83 pts, PV

2005 Tasca d’ Almerita Lamuri Nero D’Avola ($20): Bright cherry and raspberry with a touch of dark fruit as well. There are subtle notes of cocoa and dried herbs, light to medium body, light acidity, medium tannins and medium finish. Think Cru Beaujolais in structure with a bit more complexity. My rating: 87 pts, GV