100% Nero d'Avola, this shows lovely aromas of baked strawberries, crushed cherries, black tea, and roses. Full-bodied with powdery tannins, it's still nuanced and light-footed, finishing balanced and generous, with oolong and rooibos.
Nicolò Grippaldi is a pretty philosophical guy, both in the technical and literal senses. Having studied philosophy at university in Florence, a chance meeting with the owners of a Chianti cantina, Castello dei Rampolla in Panzano, saw Niccolò fall headlong into the world of wine, eventually returning to his homeland in the province of Enna, a relatively remote corner of central Sicily. Having had the entirety of the region’s vineyards decimated by the scourge of phylloxera throughout the tail of the 19th century, Nicolò truly found himself at square one, planting a minuscule 2.60 hectare vineyard of his own (the only vineyard in the region) in the spring of 2015 – half of it to Nero d’Avola, the remaining half to Nerello Mascalese. A certified trailblazer in the region – and not even 40 years old – Nicolò adheres strictly to biodynamic principles in his farming, crafting his own biodynamic preparations and guiding all vineyard and cellar work via the cycles of the moon. This is definitely one to watch.