Feudo di Maria 2005

I really like Nero d'Avola, a red Sicilian grape, native to the island, and to my knowledge grown nowhere else. The spiciness and the chocolatey flavours really hit the spot for me where red wine is concerned. The wines are that common either, making them quite a lot of fun when I encounter them on a wine list. Familiarity hasn't yet bred contempt.

I had this bottle (or actually a 1/3 bottle) at Hereford Road. It was pretty good value for money as well as I remember, and they decanted the wine for us, which is something fairly unusual. Well worth having.

Feudo di Maria 2005
Red wine
Italy (Sicily)
Syrah / Nero d'Avola

Nose: Fruity - pear and blue berry. Oak spiciness quite apparent.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, a little syrupy. Good drinking texture with red meat.
Tasting: Sweet, spicy - discernible cinnamon and nutmeg. Vanilla appears after aeration, with hints of milk chocolate.

Unfortunately there isn't much on the internet about this winemaker, the di Maria family. Apparently they have teamed up with the Biscardo family, another Sicilian winemaker, to innovate and experiment on young vineyards, new grapes and the like. Also available from the same winemaker is Feudo di Maria Cataratto Lucido 2005, a dry white wine made from the Sicilian Cataratto grape.