This is a really insipired blend of Nero d’Avola and Merlot bringing out the best of both varietals in a wine that is better than the sum of its two parts. The lovely rich but slightly light Nero d’Avola bulked up a bit by rich and soft Merlot.  It undergoes a slight “Ripasso” treatment. “Da uve leggermente appassite” as they say. This gives it extra oomph. Good depth, nice and silky

I have travelled to Sicily many, many times in the past when we developed the “D’Istinto” brand with my (sadly late) friend Maurizio Micicche. So I’ve always had a soft spot for the indigenous Nero d’Avola and Grillo grape varieties. This year (2023) we finally had the opportunity to investigate for The Real Wine Co and found three wines we really liked from Cantine Birgi.