2019 Nicolò Grippaldi Rosso 'Dei Pinti'

This young biodynamic producer is brand new to the US- we're one of the very first to carry his wines.80% Nero d'Avola, 20% Nerello Mascalese, grown on vineyards planted in 2015 on Nicolò's great-grandfather's abandoned land in Gagliano Castelferrato, a small village 651 metres above sea level in the province of Enna. The grapes were hand-harvested and carried to the winery in small (10kg) boxes to prevent breakage. The grapes were left in pre-fermentative maceration for 2 days and once the alcoholic fermentation was completed, there was a post-fermentative maceration of about a month. After the destemming, grapes ferment in small tanks with selected yeast under uncontrolled temperature. During maceration, which lasts 10-12 days, daily breaking up of the marc are carried out by manual punching down. After the racking, malolactic fermentation is carried out 700 liter oak tonneaux with indigenous lactic bacteria.Unique, complex and mouthfilling, this has exotic aromas of spiced black cherry mixed perfectly with notes of vanilla and cinnamon and just a hint of sweet balsamic. The wine is so dense in the mouth, with loads of concentrated black forest fruit and blueberries and some serious tannins providing a backbone to the richness of fruit here. The fresh acidity keeps everything buoyant. Really an amazing wine here- Nicolò says it has "a dream-like power and persistence."

94 points, James Suckling. "Aromas of dried roses, red cherries, wet stones and baked raspberries. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, tense tannins. Nicely structured and perfumed on the palate, with floral and mineral complexity. Dried citrus, too. This needs a bit more time to come together, but will age very nicely. From biodynamically grown grapes. 50% nero d'avola and 50% nerello mascalese. Best after 2026."

93+ points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. "Released in numbered bottles with a wax capsule, the Nicolò Grippaldi 2019 Sicilia Dei Pinti is a blend of equal parts Nero d'Avola and Nerello Mascalese with fruit from  a site mixed with sand, loam, quartz, chalk, granite, clay and sandstone. There's a little bit of everything in this 1.3 hectare vineyard at 650 meters in elevation. With 3,207 bottles (and 63 magnums) made, this wine is redolent of sour cherry, lavender essence and Mediterreanean herb. It is lean and polished in texture with lively fruit on the nose." -Monica Larner