Tenuta Rapitalà Tenuta Rapitalà Alto Reale Nero d'Avola 2023 750ml

Attractive nose of raspberries, strawberries, cherries and peppercorns. It’s medium-bodied, with bright acidity, medium-firm tannins and a delicious finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now or hold.

A youthful ruby/magenta color, the 2023 Nero d'Avola Alto Reale is a softer style of Nero d'Avola, raised in a combination of stainless steel and oak barrels. It reveals notes of ripe cherries, pine, sage, and fresh crushed flowers. Often, I feel like Nero leans toward oxidation, but they do a nice job of keeping the freshness. Medium-bodied, it’s light on its feet, with fine tannins, clean lift, and a finessed, easygoing finish. Another great value.

The nose opens with sweet, tangy raspberries and wild strawberries, then turns herbaceous with lots of wild oregano. The nose evokes raspberry jam in a cookie, like a Linzer tart, but with the flinty edge of a knife cutting through it. Fierce tannins and saliva-inducing acid accentuate that sharp element.