A wheat field that was once ruled by the great Roman Empire was transformed into the Montoni 'Grand Cru,' Vrucara, in 1590. These magnificent vines have been watched over for centuries and have only been replanted using the vine's own rootstock. Designated as the purest expression of Nero d'Avola the Vrucara vineyard has become the lore of Sicily and the fortunate wino's who have crossed paths with this other-worldly wine. At eight years old, the 2013 Vrucara is drinking impressively well and still has plenty of life left for additional aging. The sheer enjoyment your palate is going to experience as this glorious Nero d'Avola dances across your flavor preceptors can not be quantified or explained until you try it. Don't wait.

Feudo Montoni has been producing top-quality wines on its historic grounds since 1469, and is currently overseen by Fabio Sireci, the third generation of a family dedicated to producing the most refined expressions of this long-cultivated terroir. Rosario Sireci purchased the Feudo Montoni estate in the late 1800s upon discovering a wealth of ancient vines and passed down the property and closely held “secret knowledge” to his son and grandson. “Our wines are manipulated as little as possible by human intervention,” says Fabio Sireci of his family’s methods, which employ the “cru concept” of bottling wine from the best grapes in a single vineyard. Feudo Montoni’s pre-phylloxera vineyard, for example, is planted with native Nero d’Avola clones.

Today, the certified organic winery produces many of Italy’s most celebrated 100% indigenous varietals—Perricone, Nerello Mascalese, Catarratto, Grillo, Inzolia, and Passito—in addition to the purest expression of Nero d’Avola. Sireci is particularly proud of the organic farming methods, artisanal cellar practices, and renewable energy sources he’s implemented and maintained, which he says preserves the grapes’ natural flavors and nuances.

Aging: 45 months in cement, 6 months in barrels, 6 months in the bottle

Tasting Notes: A ruby red color, Vrucara is intense and persistent on the nose with aromas of forest floor, notes of cherry in spirit, and dried rose petal, which are in harmony with notes of vanilla, balsamic, eucalyptus, licorice, and incense oil. Soft and velvety on the palate, with buttery notes, it is well structured with a prolonged aromatic persistence on the finish. Vrucara has soft tannins and is well-balanced.

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