Fuso CALA Dario Serrentino Rosso Terre Siciliane 2021

Dario Serrentino got his start by selling his organically-farmed grapes to natural wine luminaries like Frank Cornelissen. It didn't take him too long to realize he could be making wine himself, and he now makes some of our favorite Sicilian wines, harnessing the briny heat that comes off the Mediterranean Sea. Dario is in Noto, so far south in Sicily it's at a lower latitude than the northern part of Africa. Somehow he tames the heat and gives us refreshing, breezy wines.  This bottling is 90% Nero d'Avola with 10% Grillo from vines on soils with limestone deposits, which help to temper the warm climate. The fruit is juicy and ripe as you'd expect, but there's some cranberry crunch and a wild, gamey bite, too. A little bit of salt, herbs, and texture on the finish contribute to the sense of refreshment. Definitely a red wine that will be even more delicious with a little chill. Jonathan Kemp