Deep ruby color; cherry, vanilla, spice on vivid nose; black cherry, plum, blackcurrant; black olive, licorice, tobacco, oak, chocolate on the palate.
Dry; relaxed, dusty tannins; average acidity. Warm, velvety, smooth. Fruit forward. Medium-plus body. Aged in barriques for up to a year, so there is beam of oak and oak spice. Nero d’Avola—at least 60% of this blend—is the most important red grape in Sicily, often compared to cabernet sauvignon. Merlot makes up the rest of the blend, so this drinks like a Sicilian Bordeaux blend. 14% ABV
The estate is in Riesi in the center of Sicily, a few miles from the Mediterranean. The hillside vineyard is some 313 acres and well exposed to the wind. The soil is siliceous-calcareous which allows deep root penetration, which is important in this part of Sicily because of slight rainfall in summer. The winery asserts it has been green since its founding in 1824. Duca di Salaparuta introduced Triskelè in 1998.
The Duca di Salaparuta Group owns three historic brands. Duca di Salaparuta and Corvo founded in 1824 and Florio founded in 1833. The Reina family combined the brands to create the largest private wine group in Sicily. Don Guiseppe Alliata di Villafranca, prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Grand of Spain and Duke of Salaparuta, founded the winery which remained under family ownership until 1960.
The Duca di Salaparuta label is a collection of super-premium wines with most classified as Sicilia IGT, the classification of this effort. They operate three separate estates. SuorMarches in Riesi, where grapes for this wine were grown, Risignolo in Salemi in the western part of Sicily, and Vajasindi on the slopes of Mount Etna towards the east coast. The label also has a range of single-estate wines from around Sicily and some blended wines, a brut spumante and the Ala dessert wine.
Duca di Salaparuta Triskelè Nero d’Avola-Merlot 2017 is flamboyantly fruity, easy drinking Sicilian blend of the island’s signature grape—Nero d’Avola—and merlot. Voluptuous nose. Hedonistic delight. Pair with grilled red meats; pasta dishes, especially with red sauces; lamb; aged cheese. $15
