Gulfi NeroBufaleffj 2017
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red with violet hints. On the nose, complex and strong with notes of red fruits, blackberry and vanilla. Elegant, fruity flavors. A structured and balanced wine that lingers on the palate.
Excellent with red meat, game and matured cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe berries and hazelnuts on the nose with some mushrooms and dried flowers, as well as cedar and mahogany. Full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and a sour-cherry element at the finish. Juicy and delicious. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is one of three single-vineyard (and organic) expressions of Nero d'Avola from Gulfi and another such release of 6,400 bottles. The 2017 NeroBufaleffj offers medium-dark concentration and lots of aromatic intensity that closely reflects the varietal purity of this wine. Black cherry and dried blackberry segue to spice, scorched earth and roasted eggplant. This was a hot vintage, but the wine's fruit definition remains crisp and linear nonetheless. NeroBufaleffj is born on a three-hectare site with a unique mix of black clay, white limestone and reddish sandy soils. These unique conditions shape this wine's special identity. It's a good occasion to crack out a very Sicilian recipe of stuffed pork ribs, or costate di maiale ripiene.
Other Vintages
2016-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
Etna makes Sicily different and makes the difference between the two Sicilies: Western and Eastern. It’s Etna that makes Sicily different and that makes the difference between Western and Eastern Sicily. In front of the tallest active volcano in Europe one can not remain indifferent. The Mountain is, for us from Eastern Sicily, a reference. Our Reseca is the offspring of an old alberlli vineyard in the area of Randazzo, on the northern side of Etna, which encloses the peculiarity and uniqueness of this territory and its mainland climate. It takes strength from the primordial volcanic earth and the indigenous vine "Nerello Mascalese" that is cultivated in "alberello" style: an ancient example of winemaking culture.
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.