Cos Cerasuolo Di Vittoria 2018
SKU
CONE201811 UCAU
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Azienda Agricola COS wines are made from biodynamically grown fruit using natural winemaking techniques.
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A vibrant wine with great fruit purity.
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I the historic province of Ragusa, the estate was founded in 1980.
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1 or more bottles$59.99
Editors notes
Azienda Agricola COS is a wine producer located on the Italian island of Sicily, near Vittoria, in the historic province of Ragusa. The estate was founded in 1980.
The wines are made from biodynamically grown fruit using natural winemaking techniques. The wines contain extremely low sulphites and most are fermented and aged in terracotta amphorae dug into the earth.
Wines not aged in amphora are aged in Slavonian oak or resin-lined concrete vats. The wines are bottled in squat bottles unique to the winery and based on an old bottle unearthed on the winery site.
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Alcohol Percentage
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Black Fruits
- Bramble
- Smoky
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Palate
- Black Fruits
- Earthy
- Red Fruits
Food Pairings
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Game -
Pork -
Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Jancis Robinson MW
17"There is complexity that belies its relative youth, with the kind of iron, earth and cedar aromas more readily associated with claret of distinguished age."
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The Wine Advocate
93""The 2016 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico is a very nice wine that shows a smooth texture and a delicate approach that grows in intensity. There are small-berry aromas with cassis, wild raspberry and dried blueberry, which would spruce up any pasta like a Sicilian pasta alla Norma. A blend of 40% Frappato and 60% Nero d'Avola aged in oak barrels for 12 months, the wine is delicate and smooth, with tiny steps that go the long haul. The tannins are well integrated and give the wine a firm, upstanding backbone. Some 83,000 bottles were made.""
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Locations
Italy
Italy has some of the oldest wine production methods in the world and almost every part of the country is planted under vine. From the Alps in the north to the very southernmost parts of Sicily where Africa is almost in sight, wine is successfully cultivated. In addition to the latitude covered, Italy's many mountains and hills provide a plethora of altitudes for grape growing in various soils and micro-climates. The extensive coastlines along the peninsula that is Italy provide maritime climates for the coastal wine-growing areas. Over 350 grape varieties are 'authorised' in Italy, though up to 550 varieties are thought to be grown.
The classification system of Italian wines has four classes, with the intention of defining a wine's origin a quality. Two of these classes are table wines, whilst DOC and DOCG fall under the EU quality wine produced in a specific region category. Vino da Tavola (VDT) means that the wine comes from Italy. Most of these wines are generally basic table wines that are consumed domestically. Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) denotes a more specific region within Italy, and the resultant will be of higher quality than simple table wines, but won't conform to the rules required for higher certification. Both Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) are regionally more specific than IGT, and have stricter rules regarding the grape varieties grown, yields per hectare, minimum alcohol levels and so on. The major difference between DOC and DOCG is that the latter has to undergo a blind-tasting session to ensure the highest quality is achieved. Italy has 32 DOCG appelations, 311 DOC appelations and 120 IGT zones.
Key regions include Piedmont, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Veneto, Sicily and Sardinia. Common white varieties grown are Pinot Grigio, Arneis, Vermentino, Verdicchio, Fiano and Moscato. The red varieties grown the most are Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Primitivo, Nero d'Avola and Corvina.
Sicily
According to Greek legend, the god of wine Dionysus was the first to have planted a vineyard in Sicily; kick-starting the viticulture of the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It's one of the biggest wine-producing regions in Italy with Veneto and Emilio Romagna the only two Italian regions that produce more. In all, the island has an impressive 134,000 hectares under vine although this area is shrinking year by year. This region produces a wide range of wines, both table and dessert wines and the grapes most famously grown there are the Nero d’Avola and Catorrato varietals. Nerello Mascalese is used to make the Etna Rosso DOC wine from the volcanic Mt Etna and Frappato is a the main grape of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG.
Sicily is blessed with the most favourable climate. The summers are hot and it hardly rains, and the winters are not that cold and frost is rare. The Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing wine grapes as the coastal winds drying out grapes overnight. Because of the warm and relatively dry climate, there are less risk of rot and mildew among the grapes, so chemical sprays are rarely used. The soil of Sicily is rocky and enriched with minerals that absorb the heat during the day and release it at night, which helps the grapevines maintain an even temperature while the air around it gets cooler.
About the brand Azienda Agricola COS
Founded by a trio of Italian vintners in 1980, COS is an acronym of each of the owners' family names: Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano and symbolized the partnership they formed and the journey they were about to embark on. Starting with a tiny parcel of just over three hectares of vines, the team continued to grow their vineyard holdings to its current size of over 20 hectares, growing classic Sicilian grape varietals including Nero d'Avloa, Frappatto and Graciano.
Passionate about the local terroir, the team made the decision to adopt biodynamic viticulture processes and pushed the winemaking envelope by looking to the past; fermenting and ageing their wine in amphora; a clay vessel created by the ancient Greeks to transport wine. As Sicily's only DOCG, COS is located in Cerasuolo di Vittoria, at the Southern tip of the island around the town of Vittoria.
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