2011 Nerocapitano Frappato
If you have not yet discovered Frappato, a Sicilian red grape, which makes the most deliciously refreshing light bodied red wines, now is your chance.
This week’s wine — the 2011 Nerocapitano Frappato, IGT Sicilia is the perfect wine for pizza or pasta.
Pretty pale crimson in color. Vibrant, bright and refreshing were three words that kept echoing in my mind as I savored this delicious Sicilian Frappato a few weeks ago. The nose is a wonderful orchestra of floral notes, lively red cherry fruit, raspberries, wild strawberries, hints of smoke and leather as well as a strident savory minerality that anchors the wine. Flavors mirror the nose, with a more pronounced savoriness. Tannins are ripe and gently frame the wine. Long, savory finish.
At the table: My absolute favorite pairing with this Frappato wine is pizza, basically any tomato based pizza – as Frappato has enough acidity to balance the tomatoes. Pasta also works well. I especially like pasta with Puttanesca sauce. But experiment for yourself. You can enjoy this wine with a myriad of different dishes.
About Nerocapitano and this Frappato Wine: Frappato is an indigenous Sicilian grape variety. As mentioned earlier it makes deliciously refreshing, lightly colored, light-to-medium bodied aromatic red wines with a distinct savory minerality. Recent DNA profiling has shown that one of Frappato’s parents is actually Sangiovese.
Nerocapitano is an artisan wine, essentially a natural wine. It is produced by Lamoresca – a small wine and olive estate on the inland of Sicily. Grapes are farmed according to biodynamic principals. Only natural yeasts are used to best express the terroir of the vineyards, which are situated at an incredible 1300 feet above sea level. After fermentation the wine was aged for 12 months in cement vat. Unfined and unfiltered with no added sulfites.(Images: Mary Gorman-McAdams)