($22):  Regulations require that Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily’s only DOCG wine, be made from a blend of Nero d’Avola (50-70%) and Frappato.  Gulfi, one of the island’s best producers, uses equal parts for this wine.   It’s explosive, in a very delicate way.  Cherry-like flavors flood the palate without a trace of heaviness.  Floral and fresh, the tannins are fine and barely noticeable, so that this mid-weight red wine would take a chill nicely.  Talk about versatility — drink it with a pasta and meat sauce, a pungent puttanesca, or chill it with a Niçoise salad.  Another bargain from Sicily.
93 Michael Apstein May 7, 2019