2015 Arianna Occhipinti, Nero d’Avola e Frappato, SP68 Rosso, Terre Siciliane, Italy.
The latest from Arianna Occhipinti is her Nero d’Avola and Frappato blend, the SP68 Rosso Terre Siciliane from her estate near Vittoria, it’s everything her fans and world was expecting and a little bit more, showing an earthy harmony, silky layers of medium weight fruit and her classic natural highlights. The 2015 is a richly detailed wine with admirable poise and vibrancy delivering a delectable selection of wild fruits, minty spices and savory/rustic charms unleashing a mix of dried flowers, raspberry, lingonberry, tart cherry and zesty currant and strawberry along with a hint of balsamic, lavender oil and loamy stones. Light and bright on the palate, this is an expressive vintage that adds a bit more complexity and fine quality to already very desirable wine, impressive in style and substance, you’ll want to have this edition of Arianna’s SP68. This is fun stuff and will be great with lots of cuisine options and even great on it’s own with a slight chill to keep it fresh, like a good Cru Beaujolais, this is a great Summer red, and while still delicately lighter in focus, it has the warm vintage sexiness. Occhipinti is a star and this new SP68 will seduce, drink this over the next 2 or 3 years, this is a wine without pretense with old world character and will never bore you.
($28 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
