2021 Planeta “Plumbago” Nero d’Avola, Menfi, Sicily, Italy (Alcohol 13.5%, Residual Sugar 3 g/l) LCBO Vintages $24.95 (750ml glass bottle)

A recent trip to Sicily for 2024’s Anteprima taught me that there was so much more to the Nero d’Avola grape than the misguided purchases I had made over previous years. When handled with the right type of care, this Sicilian variety is capable of quite wondrous things, and this Planeta bottling is a superb example of its potential. Having spent quite some time tasting with the Planeta team back in May and having been most fond of their varied wines ever since I was first introduced to them many moons ago, it came as no surprise that this bottling was another winner.

The nose is quite complex, with an assured florality (violets) adding considerable perfume to the core bouquet of blackcurrant and black cherry with nuances of dried mountain herbs, spice, and dark chocolate. In the mouth, the wine is gorgeously fleshy and, dare I say, succulent, but there’s assertiveness in spades on both the acid and tannin fronts. The acidity is just what a wine with this level of ripeness requires to keep the equilibrium, and the tannins have a firm attack but are enjoyably penetrable. There is also a distinctive mineral element here that tails out into the impressively lenghty finish.

The name “Plumbago” did make me emit a childish snigger though: seeing as lumbago is a UK term for lower back pain, in my peurile mind, plumbago was pain in the… plums.

Back in reality, plumbago means either an old term for graphite or an evergreen flowering shrub. Looking at the label, I’m guessing in this case it’s the latter.

I’d say that a wine like this certainly performs better alongside food. Think grilled lamb or braised beef ribs with loads of herbal elements.

A truly excellent bottle of wine for the money.

(Four and a half out of a possible five apples)

 

Planeta wines are represented in Ontario by Noble Estates.

Noble Estates are Good Food Fighters.

Please support the businesses and organizations that support Good Food Revolution.