2020 COS Nero di Lupo Terre Siciliane

Responsibly Farmed
Hidden Gem
Geeky

We can’t get enough of Island wine right now and this is the perfect chillable red for summer. Think Pinot Noir meets Syrah. It’s super bright, fresh, and has a kick of spice on the finish that makes it awesome with grilled seafood or poultry alike.

Biodynamic & certified organic farming practices, hand-harvested, native yeast fermentation, no filtering, and vegan-friendly.

Red
  • Tasting Notes bright cherry, red currants, tangerine peel, dried herbs, balsamic, crushed rock
  • Variety Nero d'Avola
  • Region Italy, Sicily
  • Volume 750ml
  • Alcohol Volume 12.5%
  • Table Talk Nero d'Avola is a native grape to the Island of Sicily. Think Pinot meets Syrah - Pinots spicy little sister, or Syrahs light, bright and interesting Sicilian cousin!

$30.00

Out of stock

Giusto Occhipinti of COS is one of the most important and influential producers in all of Sicily, if not Italy as a whole. The winery was founded in 1980 by three friends, Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti, and Cirino Strano. The initials of their last names form the winery’s name.

For Giusto, “the vineyard is like our life’s savings in the bank, so we must protect it.” Protecting it means that they work organically and biodynamically in order to support the health of the soil. The winery has never used synthetic or chemical additives and they were an early practitioner of Biodynamic viticulture starting in 2000, and were certified (Organic) in 2007.

Giusto makes wines of elegance and purity. He seeks to have the transparency of the soil conveyed in the wines themselves. To that end, he did extensive research on aging vessels and eventually decided on a combination of 440-liter clay amphorae sourced from Spain along with a collection of large neutral barrels and also concrete tanks (latter mostly for the Frappato). The clay is porous like oak but has the advantage that it imparts less flavor to the wine than does even large, old casks. For many of the wines, the juice remains in contact with the skins for extended periods, even for whites. Giusto feels these extended macerations help the wine obtain natural preservatives, which in turn allows them do the aging and élévage with little or no added Sulphur until the bottling when there is only a small addition.

SICILY, ITALY
Sicilian viticulture has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Although once known for sweet, Muscat-based and fortified wines, today, the island is praised for its delicious, earth-driven wines crafted from the area’s unique, volcanic-influenced soils. Sicily is Italy’s most southerly wine-producing region, and it is also the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily’s vineyards experience ample sunshine and moderate rainfall year-round, making it ideal for grape growing. Here, salty island breezes provide necessary ventilation for vines, and because disease pressure is low, much of the island’s farming can be done organically. Vineyards are also heavily influenced by Mount Etna, which is responsible for the dark, mineral-laden soils that cover much of the island’s surface. The indigenous grapes of Nero d’Avola and Catarratto are the two most significant varieties cultivated on the island, with Grillo, Inzolia, Grecanico, Frappato, and Nerello Mascalese not far behind. Sicilian wines are known for their bright acidity, earth-driven notes, and of course, an undeniable volcanic influence.