2012OcchipintiNero2012 Arianna Occhipinti, Siccagno, Nero d’ Avola, Terre Siciliane IGT, Sicily, Italy.
Arianna Occhipinti is a world phenomenon, and her wines illicit magical responses, she is the poster child for the natural wine movement, at only 31 years old, she has much more to offer us in the future and we can hardly wait, in the meantime her latest set of wines are intriguing, especially the 2012 Siccagno Nero d’ Avola. The new Occhipinti Nero d’ Avola shows fine detail and vibrancy with an earthy side, it starts with dried violets, blueberry, porcini, hints of chalk dust, leather and a mix of dark cherry and currant leading to a light/medium mouth feel, there is always texture and finesse in Arianna’s wines and this Nero is as expected pleasing, sensual and a bit wild in nature with forest berries, loamy, game, roasted herbs, anise and spicy mineral. It might sounds cliche, but this does have a quality of Nuits-St.-Georges about it, but still lets you know it is pure Occhipinti, organic, natural/native yeast fermented, with very low sulphur and aged in mostly neutral barrel, in the glass. The finish is lingering and seductive with a nice play of strawberry, huckleberry, cedar/walnut and saline/savory elements, and it is dense, but with vital freshness, being only about 13% alcohol, and it is balanced, soulful and honest throughout, drink from 2015 to 2020.
($39 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

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