Feudo Maccari Saia 2016
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Panel
Tasting
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep scarlet-red in color. Brilliant and intense. The nose reveals decisive scents of red currant and blackberry, followed by spicy and balsamic hints of black pepper and eucalyptus.
This wine pairs well with grilled red meats and BBQ.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A more subtle Saia than in the past with freshly picked mulberries, elderberries, tobacco, cedar and resin. Full-bodied and very tight on the palate with polished tannins and a long finish. The combination of dark fruit and minerals is irresistible.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A pure expression of Nero d'Avola, the 2016 Sicilia Saia is a rich and contemporary expression of this versatile Sicilian grape. The bouquet is layered and rich with plump cherry nuances followed by tobacco, spice and charred earth. This is a lavish and soft wine that maintains a mid- to full-bodied approach with soft tannins and sweet fruit endnotes. The wine is aged in mostly neutral barrique and tonneaux for up to 14 months. Some 70,000 bottles were made.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine & Spirits
This nero d’Avola comes from vines rooted in sand and chalk soils near Sicily’s torrid southeastern tip. The 2016 growing season was slightly cooler than average, allowing the grapes to retain lively acidity along with high-toned scents of mint and sage. Notes of anise, braised fennel and black olive enrich the wine’s ripe plum tones, the flavors knit together during one year in barriques. It’s bold and spicy; for braised lamb shanks.
-
Tasting Panel
Dark and fragrant with a silky, juicy, and dense flavor profile of black cherry and spice; earthy, rich, and long.
Other Vintages
2020-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
- Vinous
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
The Feudo Maccari lies just over a mile from the sea, and basks in a dry, sun drenched climate verging on torrid in the summer months. Mediterranean winds moderate the climate and aerate the clusters, and some irrigation is required during the hot, dry season. The vineyards lie 240 feet above sea level on southerly exposed slopes, and the predominant volcanic soil profile is mixed in a few areas with white sand and chalk deposits. The Nero d’Avola vines are trained on trees in the traditional Sicilian manner, with the other varieties to more conventional systems. The first vintage of Saia, composed entirely of Nero d’Avola, is in the 2002 vintage; experimentation continues with other varieties.
The diversity of the estates’ soil and climatic conditions dictates that cultivation and winemaking follow the demands of the environment and pursuit of quality. Yields are restricted, and at harvest the clusters are handpicked, sorted, destemmed, and put into a conveyer-belt apparatus which breaks the skins rather than crushes the berries. Fermentation takes place in a combination of temperature controlled stainless steel and lined open-top fermentors with maceration periods appropriate to the varietal in question followed by natural malolactic fermentation in tank. Cooperage consists primarily of 225-liter barriques with some capacity in 500-litre tonneaux, and is of new and one year’s use; length of oak contact depends on both the wine and vintage, but generally lasts for a period of twelve to eighteen months. A first blending of lots takes place when the wine is placed in barrique; a second at the first racking. The wines are then bottled with minimum intervention.
Boldly opulent and robust, Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s most widely planted red grape. Nero d’Avola performs well both as a single varietal bottling and in blends. It loves hot, arid climates and Sicily's old vines are aptly head-trained close to the ground, making them resistant to strong winds. A few pioneering producers in California as well as Australia farm Nero d’Avola in the same way. Somm Secret—Nero d’Avola's other name, Calabrese, suggests origins from the mainland region of Calabria.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.