Dear Friend,

This deal started years ago in Dusseldorf, Germany with a chance meeting of an Italian producer whose wines I immediately fell in love with. Unfortunately, the procurement of this wine wasn’t immediate, but I think you’ll agree it was worth the wait.

What do you get when you combine the power of Barolo with the rich velvety palate of a ripe Napa Cabernet?

Nero D’Avola probably isn’t the answer most of you came up with, but when you taste Lot 315 2010 Nero D’Avola Reserva, you’ll understand. Powerful structure meets rich fruit in this lavish wine from Sicily. Year-in, year-out, this flagship cuvee (under its original label) receives top honors from the Italy’s wine Bible, Gambero Rosso, again scoring Tres Bicchieri (Three Glasses), their top score, for the 2010 vintage. I wish I could tell you more about the family behind this stellar wine and their rich history of both heritage and innovation, but since we are selling this wine for well over half off its retail price, the rules are in effect. Lot 315 represents their top cuvee and is the same wine they have under their label. Meticulously farmed and raised in the best French oak (a combination of regular format and larger barriques) this fantastic offering combines Italian linearity and Sicilian warmth to produce a wine with tremendous appeal. If you are a fan of the bigger mountain fruit styles of Napa Cabernet, I believe you will gravitate towards this wine.

Nero D’Avola is a thick and dark-skinned grape whose original calling was to add structure and color to mainland Italian reds. Conscientious producers have embraced the grape and have revealed its propensity to produce wines with both power and elegance - the theme here. Lot 315 leaps from the glass with ripe aromas of black raspberry and cherry underpinned with forest floor and coffee bean aromas. Richly fruited on the palate with velvety tannins that are just beginning to flesh out it offers an structural experience not unlike the hillside Cabernets of Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain. However, the fruit profile is pure Italy. $25…Compare at $50-60.

As always folks, if we can answer any of your questions, please email us or call us at 1-800-805-1971.