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There's nothing like an indigenous grape crafted with love, and the Cos Nero di Lupo is just that. Nero d'Avola makes a deep purple wine, a hefty masculine wine that glints with dark cherry, and the Nero di Lupo turns that wine into something magical and complex. Fruity, funky, and earthy, the Nero di Lupo has balance that will surprise you. A different drink for people who appreciate the wild, the wooly and the wonderful, this wine is drinking for the next five years.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Sicilia
- Subregion/Appellation: Sicilia IGT
COS was established in 1980 by three friends—Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti, and Pinuccia Strano—each of whom is represented by the initial letter of his surname in the winery’s title. While the venture began purely as a pleasurable pursuit, following early qualitative success derived from a fairly casual operation, they adopted a serious orientation, employing modern viticultural techniques. Today, Cilia and Occhipinti continue to oversee the estate’s operation.
The estate pays homage to Sicilia’s native grapes, cultivating wines from Frappato di Vittoria, Nero d’Avola, Inzolia, and Grecanico. While most of these varietals appear in blends, preeminent portfolio positioning is accorded to Nero d’Avola, which figures in several monovarietal bottlings. Nero d’Avola, essentially an exclusive inhabitant of Sicilia, attains high sugar levels and surprisingly, despite the heat, exhibits a rather bracing acidity. When vinified as a single varietal, it fashions a red that often inspires comparison to Syrah, and, like the latter, is amenable to projecting a vast stylistic range.
Pojo di Lupo, one of COS’s single-varietal bottlings of note, emphasizes the dark, meaty character of Nero d’Avola on both the nose and palate. The pronounced savory dimension of this wine issues a demand—rather than an invitation—for rich and succulent meats. The Sicilians may very likely pair it with polpettoni (meatballs), which they serve as a main course (and are also credited with having invented) as opposed to a “topper.”
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