NeroBaronj - 2015
Gulfi
- Region
- Italy » Sicilia » IGP Terre Siciliane
- Type
- red still, dry
- Producer
- Gulfi
- Vintage
- 2015
- Grapes
- Nero d'Avola
- Alcohol
- 14.5
- Sugar
- 2.4
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
Ratings
The type of profound and powerful wines that I enjoy. Black fruits, vanilla, black olives, leather, licorice, medicinal herbs. Still aggressive, so requires some good decanting, powerful acidity and tannins. One of my favourite Nero d'Avola wines. (hence I am struggling to rate it subjectively).
I think Gulfi hits a perfect spot with their Nero d'Avola from Pachino. While being very friendly with all those black cherry, blackberry and vanilla aromas, it still has these balsamic notes and white pepper. While having 14.5 abv it is well balanced. Silky, with long and flavourful aftertaste that evolves from ripe black cherry and vanilla to coffee.
One more beauty from Pachino, this time from Baronj. Balsamic notes, sour cherry, black cherry, earthy-coffee hints. Well balanced, quite elegant and smooth for this abv (14.5!), but still powerful. Flavourful, with notes of cherry and cherry nut. Perfect for late and very long lunch.
Gulfi
The fact that my relations with Sicilian wines are special might be something obvious. But not many people know that it all started with Gulfi stand at the very first Kyiv Wine festival. When we met, I was already tired (e.g. drunk). I almost passed by, disgusted by my own weakness, when a Gulfi representative (apologies, I don't remember her name) stopped me and offered a glass of their wine. I looked at the representative welcoming face. I looked at the naked ass on the label. And I realised there are no reasons to reject this present from Dionysus. And even though I don't remember which wines I tasted exactly, the Gulfi imprint is what I took out of that overly drunk day.
It is worth mentioning that the naked ass on the label has a meaning. A meaning close enough to what one might think. Meet an ancient mosaic from Villa Romana del Casale located in Piazza Armerina in the province of Enna. This mosaic depicts Eros (Cupid) and Psyche (Beauty). According to the story, out of envy of Venus, they are forced to love each other in secret. But passion rarely goes unnoticed, and in their case, it found a physical manifestation (no puns) in the form of a daughter (no puns, seriously) they called Vulptas (literally meaning 'pleasure'), a goddess of sensual pleasures. And how does it connect to Gulfi? Sicily is Psyche, Gulfi is Eros, and their child is wine, a sensual pleasure.