2015 Centonze Nero d'Avola Sicily Italy 750 ml

This plush, full-throttle red from the far western tip of Sicily might be the European value buy of the year. No other 2015 Italian wine anywhere near our price point matched the 92 points this fantastic Nero d’Avola earned from Vinous, which praised it as “very ripe” yet “light on its feet.” Giovanni Centonze and his family are making “wines brimming with fruit and floral aromas and flavors loaded with early appeal … that don’t require mortgaging the house to enjoy,” gushes Vinous. Deep, dark, and sumptuous, with almost Cabernet-like concentration, the 2015 Centonze Nero d'Avola Sicily is their finest effort yet and the best value Italian red on the market. A case-buy if there ever was one.

The family-run Centonze estate was among the leading lights of the Sicilian Renaissance in the 1990s, one of a few producers turning out fabulously concentrated reds buttressed by perfectly round tannins from the sun-kissed Mediterranean island.  

The Centonzes tend to almost 50 acres of vineyards in western Sicily’s vibrant Trapani region, specializing in native varieties like Frappato and Nero d’Avola. This wine’s origins begin in a classic mix of clay and limestone soils, contributing to the extraordinary elegance of this Italian powerhouse. The shining Sicilian sun boosts ripening while cool ocean breezes refresh the grapes, locking in acidity.
 
The 2015 vintage in Sicily is already being hailed as historic, beginning with a winter that was mild and moist. June and July saw blistering heat, relieved in August by dropping temperatures, cool nights, and occasional rainstorms that cleansed vines and replenished soils. Harvest in September at Centonze brought tiny berries with exceptional acidity, high sugars, and beautifully ripe tannins. A simply phenomenal value, these wines remain something of a well-kept secret in the States for now, but won’t stay that way for long.