Nero d'Avola: An Underserved, Awesome Wine You Need to Have

I always get excited when I see Nero because I know it's

going to be a winner. And in the world of Italian wine, which is all over the map, this is a safe haven (and from my Shameless Commerce Division, so are the Italian wines I recommended this month on Vinport, which are affordable and will really wow you if you decide to try them).

Originally from a small town called Avola in southeast Sicily, this black (nero means black) grape is so under the radar that it's shameful. There's some range in the wines -- from medium and fruity to rich and spicy -- this hot-weather loving grape never disappoints.

If I may be so bold, I'd say Sicilian reds, in general, are an awesome group of wines for people who love New World stuff but have interest in easing into the gems of the Old World. The warm climate ensures fruity, full, higher alcohol wines (more ripeness = more sugar to be converted to alcohol in fermentation) and that's a winning bet for California, Australia, or Argentina wine lovers. The difference: there is always a touch of earth in these wines which you won't usually find in the New World gems. And that's a great way to start easing into the dustier, dirtier wines that come from Old World areas that are farther north.

One of my go-to Neros is Cusumano. The Cusumano brothers, Diego and Alberto, make wine that allows the grape to shine. This Nero has been through malolactic fermentation to make it creamy in texture, but wasn't oak-aged. The flavor belongs mostly to the grape, which in this case is a great thing. I've been a little underwhelmed by the whites, but the Cusumano Nero is a great as you'll see below.

The only warning I have: this one has a plastic (fake glass) stopper. I think it's fine for preserving the wine before you open it, but make sure you use your own vacuum pump to reseal it if you don't finish it -- my experience is that those stoppers do the wine even fewer favors in preservation than shoving a regular cork back in! I wish they would use a screw cap, but it is what it is.

Here's the deal on the wine...

The Wine: Cusumano Nero d'Avola 2011
Alcohol: 14%
Price: $15

Color: Cranberry color -- not opaque or black like the name would imply. With the 14% alcohol, the wine had thick legs.

Smell: Chocolate, leather, black raspberry and red raspberry jam aromas. And then a fresh scent like wildflowers growing in a meadow -- earthy and floral.

Taste: The texture hit me first. There was a nice amount of mouth-drying medium tannin, and then stronger acid to wash out my mouth and make the wine feel lighter. The wine had a great interplay of earth and fruit. A little tar, ripe raspberry, and mocha flavors made this a nice treat.

Drink or Sink?: Drink. I am never disappointed with this wine. It's richer than a lot of Neros I've had for more money and it's a good example of the wine.

Thanks for reading! Have you had this wine? If so, drop a comment below and let me know what you think!!!

And don't forget the five incredible Italian selections that I hand picked  this month on Vinport. These are much higher quality Italians than I've tasted in a long time and if you live in a place where you can have them shipped, you won't be disappointed!!!