Consignment Wines from Sicily

94 Tenuta delle Terre Nere 2007 Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo - Il Quadro delle Rose, Sicily, Italy

$70 Liquid Art

Really fine, an elegant nose with ripe red fruit, wild strawberry, delicate baking spice, cinnamon and integrated, high quality wood. The palate is strikingly powerful, with firm, delicate tannins like raw silk, intensely flavoured, with a marked saline-minerality. A truly stunning wine here, rather Burgundian in style with its powerful elegance. (JS)

94 Tenuta delle Terre Nere 2007 Etna Rosso Guardiola, Sicily, Italy

$70 Liquid Art

The Guardiola has slightly darker fruit character than the Feudodi Mezzo from Terre Nere, with wonderful orange peel, anise, prune, licorice, and raisined dark fruit aromas and flavours. The palate isfirm and structured, with lots of density and extract and bright, juicy acidity. Earthy-tar notes emerge - what a stunning mineral-laden wine. Long finish. (JS)

90 Tomas & Giesen (Valdibella) 2008 Kerasos Nero d'Avola, Sicily, Italy

$23 The Vine

The nose has pure black cherry and kirsch notes, black pepper spice, smoke and attractive medicinal herbal and orange peel aromas. The palate is fairly full and flavourful, with fine density and extract, silky but firm tannins and a long spicy and black cherry finish. Alcohol is a generous 13.5 percent, a nice example here. (JS)

89 Gulfi 2008 Valcanzjria IGT Sicilia, Sicily, Italy

$19 Paul Perugini

A blend of 45 percent carricante, 5 percent albanello and 50 percent chardonnay grown organically and aged in oak. There is a pronounced minerality to this wine, giving it an almost salty, succulent and savoury flavour profile. The effects of barrel ageing are noted in the creamy texture and sweet, lightly oxidative, caramelized finish, which goes on and on. This is not a wine for everybody, but it has a compelling intensity and interesting flavours that will attract adventuresome drinkers. (JS)

89 Firriato 2009 Santagostino Bianco Baglio Soria, Sicily, Italy

$20 Vintage Trade

This catarratto and chardonnay blend has pronounced minerality and ripe, succulent fruit, but it's mainly the dusty-chalky texture and linear directness of this wine that impresses most. The flavour intensity is high and the finish is long. This type of wine really sings when there's food on the table - a little too firm and complex for simple sipping. (JS)

88 Fondo Antico 2008 Nero d'Avola IGT Sicilia, Sicily, Italy

$19 TWC Imports

Fondo Antico has taken a more serious approach to their nero d'avola, creating a wine of deep, brooding black licorice and super ripe black cherry flavour. The palate is fairly full and succulent, with firm, grippy tannins and saliva-inducing acidity, giving this a highly drinkable quality. A long, savoury finish completes the package. Drink now or cellar for the short term. (JS)

88 Fondo Antico 2008 Syrah IGT Sicilia, Sicily, Italy

$21 TWC Imports

This syrah has a slightly muted nose with ripe and raisined red and black fruit character, though the palate picks up with better than average flavour intensity and density. Tannins are still a little rough and woolly, so either treat this to a brusque decantation or leave it in the cellar for another year or two. (JS)

87 Eres 2009 Favula Grillo IGT Sicilia, Sicily, Italy

$13 Hobbs & Co.

The nose is quite forward and aromatic, with some floral, green tropical fruit and white pepper aromas that are vaguely reminiscent of grüner veltliner or pinot grigio. The palate is flavourful and well-balanced with better than average length. A fine, well-made, modern white from Sicily at a fair price. (JS)

86 Eres 2009 Favula Insolia IGT Sicilia, Sicily, Italy

$13 Hobbs & Co.

This insolia is a fresh, modern style, with some ripe citrus and green melon aromas and flavours. A hint of CO2 brightens up the wine, while zesty acid and moderate alcohol balance the package out. A pleasant bitterness on the finish brings to mind lemon and olive-roasted Mediterranean sea bass. Simple and crisp for current enjoyment. (JS)

85 Duca di Castelmonte 2006 Cent’are Nero d'Avola IGT Sicilia, Sicily, Italy

$14 Majestic Wine Cellars

This is a wine you'd be downing out of a tumbler in a trattoria in Palermo and paying 9 Euros for a litre. It's simple, dark fruit and black pepper-licorice-flavoured, soft but not plush and vibrant without much depth or concentration. Perfectly correct, if not memorable. (JS)

85 Montalto NV Pinot Grigio Spumante Brut, Sicily, Italy

$17 Select Wine Merchants

This is a clean, relatively neutral but fresh example of sparkling pinot grigio, a rarity for Sicily. The strength of this wine is in it's bright acidity, while aggressive mousse livens it up further. A wine to drink well chilled without excessive contemplation. (JS)

85 Eres 2008 Favula Nero d'Avola Alcamo DOC, Sicily, Italy

$14 Hobbs & Co

A rare DOC-based nero d'avola from the Alcamo appellation in western Sicily, this reasonably-priced red has plenty of bright, wild redberry flavour and a pleasant dose of peppery spice. Tannins are grippy and have staying power on the palate, while acidity is juicy enough to invite further sips. A simple but drinkable entry-level version to be enjoyed over the next year or two with some rustic, roasted or grilled fare. (JS)

85 Gulfi 2008 Rossojbleo Nero d'Avola IGT Sicilia, Sicily, Italy

$19 Paul Perugini

Made from organically grown grapes and bottled with what appears to be CO2, this needs time in the glass or decanter before serving. The wine retains an oxidative note reminiscent of shoe polish and vanilla-caramel-tinged blackberry jam, but the palate is decently concentrated and generously proportioned with 14 percent alcohol. The tannins are moderate and dusty, the acidity is balanced and the finish is average. Drink this up within the next year, while softening the palate through decanting and serving with rustic ragùs and umami-rich protein dishes. (JS) John Szabo