2018 Le Casematte Nerello Mascalese E Nocera Peloro

2018 Le Casematte Nerello Mascalese E Nocera Peloro

2018 Le Casematte Nerello Mascalese E Nocera Peloro It has intense and brilliant ruby red colors with violet reflections. The nose of this 2018 wine is generous with a floral bouquet and notes of small berries, carob and licorice; it is well balanced with a spicy finish. On the palate has fresh acidity, rich fruit flavors with pleasant, vibrant and elegant tannins.

A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nocera, the 2013 Peloro is very characteristic of the two grapes used in the blend. The Nerello Mascalese side offers power and elegance with tighter aromas and more pointed tannins. The Nocera grape, on the other hand, shows fleshy ripeness and dark concentration. As a blend, the wine reveals dark berry aromas with black olive and Mediterranean herb.

Tar and baking spice notes underscore the dried cherry and fig fruit flavors of this bright and creamy red, while the finish shows minerally accents of smoke and forest floor.

Le Casematte

Anyone who has met Gianfranco recognizes his enthusiasm and passion for fine wine and the island of Sicily. Set in the northeastern corner of Sicily, near Messina, Le Casematte focuses on a single, tiny, quality-driven appellation: Faro.

The Faro DOC was introduced on December 3, 1976. The local wine, however, is ancient – the DOC name itself comes from an old Greek population, the Pharii, who settled in this spectacular nook of the Mediterranean and grew grapes as far back as the 14th century B.C. Not only is Faro one of the world’s most ancient wine areas, but it is also one of the tiniest appellations in Italy.

The entire appellation is only 50 acres in size. It sits in the district of Messina, on the breathtaking Messinesi Hills wedged between two seas – the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian, joined by the Messina Strait. It is a 100% native appellation, exclusively from indigenous varieties that find their ideal home on messinese soil, ranging from dark, compact, slightly acidic at the higher altitudes and alluvial towards the coast.

Gianfranco’s winery is located at Faro Superiore, high up over the Messina Strait, where the hillsides can have a gradient up to 70%. The winery’s name comes from two casematte or casemates (a.k.a. pillboxes) from World War II, which served as observatories and defensive structures at that time. Today, in more peaceful times, the casemates are content to watch over Gianfranco’s largest vineyard, which is five acres in size.