Tasted from magnum, the Feudo Montoni 2017 Sicilia Nero d'Avola Vrucara is a certified organic expression of Sicily’s vinous protagonist, Nero d'Avola, from a single vineyard planted to ancient pre-phylloxera vines. The fruit is dark and shows medium concentration, pointing to the hot and dry conditions of this growing season. But this native grape thrives in hot weather, allowing for plenty of aromatic expression and depth. Black cherry opens the bouquet, but it follows softly to toasted nut, sweet potting soil and cured tobacco. Ultimately, this is more of a mid-weight wine than it is an all-out, full-bodied expression. This lighter approach gives this red an extra layer of elegance and grace, with some fruity sweetness on the close. This release of 4,600 bottles will comfortably hold past the 10-year mark.

Elegantly structured, this opens with enticing scents of ripe dark-skinned fruit, blue flower, Mediterranean brush and whiffs of sun-baked earth. Made with organically farmed grapes, the smooth, delicious palate offers juicy black cherry, blackberry, carob and baking spice alongside polished tannins.

The 2017 Nero d'Avola Vrucara is intense, with a burst of medicinal black cherries, sweet exotic spices, balsam herbs and Baker's chocolate creating its dark and exotic bouquet. This washes across the palate in silky textural waves, delivering ripe black fruits and balsamic tones, as nuances of tobacco form toward the close. A coating of tannins remains, yet they're sweet and round, which helps to frame the otherwise hedonistic expression within without slowing the Vrucara's momentum. This is a beast of a Nero d'Avola, but I can't argue with its balance. That said, it's not for the faint of heart.