COS Contrada Nero d’Avola 2019

Contrada comes from Azienda Agricola COS, the Sicilian estate founded in 1980 that pioneered biodynamic and chemical-free viticulture in Vittoria, in the island's south-east. The wine is a varietal Nero d'Avola farmed biodynamically and made as a natural wine, with minimal intervention in the cellar. The vineyards grow on the sandy, calcareous red soils of the Vittoria area, where the warm Mediterranean climate is tempered by coastal breezes and a wide day-to-night temperature shift that holds freshness in the fruit. The wine is aged forty-two months in separate containers, an unusually long élevage that softens the tannins through slow contact with air, settles the colour and lets the fruit gain savoury, dried-fruit complexity while keeping its bright acidity. It is medium ruby in the glass. The nose shows ripe cherry and red berries with black pepper, dried herbs and a leathery, earthy edge from the long ageing. The palate is medium-bodied and savoury, with fine tannins, fresh acidity and a long, herbal finish that reflects the natural, low-intervention make. Serve at 16 degrees. It suits grilled meats, tomato-based dishes and mushrooms.