Deep ruby color; black cherry, black plum, strawberry, almond, licorice, coffee, chocolate, oak, vanilla on the nose and palate.
Dry; tame tannins, medium acidity. Medium-plus body. Vuarìa is the name of a vineyard in the Disisa Estate. Grapes are selectively harvested and spend 18 days in contact with skins. Fermentation is temperature-controlled stainless steel where complete malolactic fermentation/conversion occurs. Aged 18 months in French oak, followed by 12 months of bottle aging prior to release. 14% ABV
The Di Lorenzo family has owned Feudp Disisa for more than a century. The family originally came from Britain and arrived in Sicily under the order of King Roger of Hauteville. The website explains: “Silvestre Di Lorenzo, viscount of Antona in the Duchy of Nottuberland, settled in the area known as Val di Noto. At the end of 17th century, part of the family moved to Gibellina. Two centuries later, in 1803, Nicola Di Lorenzo was appointed Marquis of Castelluccio by King Ferdinand IV. In 1867, a few years after the Italian unification, the Archpriest Santi Di Lorenzo, another family ancestor with a keen interest in agronomy, bought the estate known as Feudo Disisa and bequeathed it to his nephew Nicolò Di Lorenzo, the former mayor of Gibellina who served as a member of the Italian parliament for two terms from 1904 to 1909.”
Nicolò’s son, Mario pursued agricultural studies and set about expanding the family’s viticulture. The first wine harvest was in 1935. The wine sold in Italy and France, but the original winery closed in 1980 and the family sold grapes to other wine makers. In the 1980s, the family experimented with various grapes and production of olive oil. In 2004, the estate opened a new cellar with advanced technology and began producing Feudo Disisa wine, including this effort.
The website notes: “Today, the family company is run by Renato Di Lorenzo together with his wife Maria Paola and their children Laura and Mario. As the fifth generation of a family with a passion for viticulture and winemaking, de Di Lorenzo’s have always combined innovation and respect for local traditions and the environment.”
Feudo Disisa Vuarìa Monreale Nero d’Avola DOC 2015 is rich, lusty, robust example of Nero d’Avola, the signature red wine of Sicily. Bold and smooth at the same time. Gets better with time in glass—consider decanting, always a suggestion with Nero ‘dAvola. Substantial red wine with depth and authority. Pair with rich beef dishes; slow-cooked meat stews or ragouts. Lamb. Pasta with meat and tomato sauces; beef lasagna, pasta Bolognese. Venison, wild boar. Barbecue meats, barbecue burgers with bacon. Pizza with meat toppings. Veal Parmesan. Mushroom risotto. Charcuterie, antipasti platters with olives, capers, Mediterranean herbs. Avoid light or delicate food. Cheese—hard, aged cheese, parmigiano-reggiano, pecorino romano, aged Sicilian caciocavallo, aged manchego; aged provolone, asiago, aged gouda, Sicilian ragusano. Pair cheese with dried fruits or nuts. $27-33
