Babo Nero d'Avola 2018

Nero d’Avola’s reputation has obviously tracked Sicily’s wine renaissance, but this wasn’t always the case. Historically this grape was considered rustic, thanks to the many chunky and musclebound wines that it produced. As Justin Bubb states, “Most of the time I found that Nero d'Avola in Sicilia was made in this really ripe, high-octane style and the wines lacked freshness and punch.” Hence, Babo’s Nero is sourced from Sambuca di Sicilia, near Menfi, where the north facing, fossil-rich soils and cooling influence of both sea and nearby Lake Arancio, tend to produce a more subtle, spicy style of Nero d'Avola—without betraying the wine’s traditional Mediterranean generosity.

Picked around 12 Baumé, the fruit was de-stemmed (no crushing) with lots of whole berries remaining in the ferment. With only a gentle extraction, the wine was pressed off skins after 10 days to mature in large-format oak (2,000-litre), where it stayed for only 10 months before bottling.