On the nose strawberry jelly with some herbs mixed in. In the mouth light from start to finish. The aftertaste is very discreet, with the strawberry coming back to say goodbye. Certainly not an intellectual wine, but in its simplicity is a fresh and clean wine that can be enjoyed during a light meal with friends.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria is the only Sicilian wine with a DOCG status, the highest wine classification in Italy, where wine certification falls into three categories of decreasing strictness: DOCG, DOC and IGT.
The DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine designation was introduced in the early 1960s, when Italy decided to establish a series of laws to safeguard the quality and authenticity of its wine.
The DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) designation was created in 1980 to differentiate the top Italian wines from the rest, as there was a general feeling that the DOC status (nowadays awarded to roughly 330 wines) was grated too liberally.
At the beginning just five wines were acknowledged as being worth of DOCG status. They were: Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti in Tuscany, Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont. Today there are more than 70 wines with DOCG status, again quite a significant number.
It needs to be remembered that quality classification systems only tell part of the story. They signify that all the boxes have been ticked and that the rules and regulations have been adhered. At the end of the day tangible quality comes down to the individual producer.
According to the DOCG rules Cerasuolo di Vittoria has to be made from a blend of Nero d’Avola at between 50% and 70%, with Frappato as the remainder. Judeka makes its with a blend of 60/40. I bought this bottle in Palermo for 10 EUR.
Country: Italy
Region: Sicily
Grapes: Nero d’Avola, Frappato
Type: Red
Vintage: 2016
Producer: Judeka
Price range: Economic (<15 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 2/5