2016 Paolo Calì Jazz Frappato e Nero d'Avola Terre Siciliane IGT 750 ml

“One of Sicily’s most adept producers at turning out easy-to-drink wines that offer plenty of early appeal and are also characterized by sneaky concentration and depth. The Frappato is always outstanding…”

That’s just some of the praise Vinous’ Italian wine expert Ian D’Agata handed down to Paolo Calì, producer of today’s Wine Access exclusive. The 93-point 2016 Paolo Calì Jazz delivers a “suave and ripe” red that is “also very fresh with refined flavors,” says D’Agata. In our glasses we found a bold, red-fruited, juicy, and mineral-laden native Sicilian red bursting with vibrant floral notes. All of it was beautifully tempered by a profound sense of earth that bewilders Sicily’s critics and rivals. 

We could be talking about a serious Pinot Noir or Gamay from Burgundy, but we’re swirling Sicily’s top value red—a $20 blend of Frappato and Nero d’Avola from a “Best in Class” producer.

If you close your eyes and take a few steps through Paolo Calì’s vineyards, with the sun beating down on your face, it would be easy to fool yourself into thinking that at any minute a wave could break over your feet. Calì’s vines are rooted in the kind of lush, soft sand typically found only on the beaches of 5-star resorts. 

But that’s how it is in the south of Sicily, around the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (the only DOCG on the island), which was elevated from DOC status in 2005. Calì’s winery is smack in the heart of Vittoria, along a road called “Via del Frappato.” How can the guy not make a Frappato wine? Even though his Jazz bottling is labeled Terre Siciliane IGT, it follows the same winemaking standards as his Cerasuolo offering—blending 55% Frappato grapes with 45% Nero d’Avola, which is just 5% short of the required 50% to be labeled a DOCG. The grapes spend up to two weeks macerating on the skins and are then aged in stainless steel to deliver a fresh and pure red that, at only 13% alcohol, goes down like water.  

Frappato is believed to have originated in Vittoria around 1760, with some evidence linking it as a parent-offspring variety to Sangiovese. Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s most-planted red grape, likely came from the city of Avola in the province of Siracusa, an hour and a half east of Vittoria. Nero d’Avola’s classic plum and chocolate notes, along with its powerful tannins, are beautifully tempered by Frappato’s fruity, floral notes. Paolo Calì’s blended renditions are among the best examples, and boast serious quality behind an unbelievably low price.  

D’Agata’s opinion on the subject of reds from the island south of The Boot really matters. His book Native Wine Grapes of Italy (which extensively covers Sicily) won the prestigious 2015 Louis Roederer International Wine Awards Book of the Year. So, when a critic of his caliber rattles off a list of “quality producers making exciting wines in the Vittoria area” and includes Paolo Calì among the elite producers, there’s only one thing to do: buy with abandon.