Gurrieri Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2024

Cerasuolo di Vittoria is one of Sicily’s best-known wines. It is grown and made near Ragusa, in south-east Sicily, a blend of the local varieties Nero d’Avola and Frappato, both of which are also bottled individually. Frappato is a slightly aromatic red grape, very distinctive in aroma and flavor, whereas Nero d’Avola is a more conventional red variety, sometimes compared to Syrah. I love varietal Frappato for its spicy, aromatic verve, medium weight, and pomegranate character, but the blend with Nero d’Avola is also very successful, taming the wildness of the Frappato a bit. The Gurrieri family produces excellent examples of these classic Sicilian wines, and a varietal Grillo that is very good too. The climate is baking hot (Ragusa is further south than the northern tip of Tunisia) but all the wines are fresh, a testament to the local grape varieties they use and the great care in the vineyard.