Project Description
GREENOCK NERO d’AVOLA
A grape variety close to Angelo’s heart as it hails from the same region as his family in Southern Italy. Family stories about this mysterious grape variety in Italy would give him shivers as the young boy’s imagination ran wild thinking the grapes somehow connected to a Black Devil.
Nero is black in Italian, but d’Avola is actually the town in Sicily where it’s believed the grape variety originates, not as the young boy heard it as diavolo, meaning devil.
Produced from a single block of Nero d’Avola vines in the vineyard there are definitely no devils in the wine produced from this variety. It’s simply a delightful medium body, full flavour offering, with soft tannins and a pleasant finish. The perfect food wine, not over powering and the clean acid finish awakens the palate to allow delicate flavours to be discovered.
VINTAGES
GROWING SEASON
2018 vintage was superb. Winter was slightly wetter than average getting the vines off to a brilliant start leading them into Spring which was warmer and drier than average. Rain in early December refreshed the vines and ensured they remained strong and healthy for the overall dry and hot Summer. Autumn also remained dry with perfect Autumnal temperatures leading into harvest. The 2018 yields are good and the quality is excellent, a classic Barossa vintage.
VINEYARD
Zitta Greenock Nero d’Avola is produced from a single block of vines on the De Fazio vineyard. From all the blocks on the vineyard only this block matches the soil profile that suits the variety, thus producing the highest quality fruit. The row orientation is North South providing maximum sunlight. The soil profile is white alluvial sand over deep red shale clay. The warm dry growing temperature of the North Western Barossa Valley provides ideal growing temperatures to ripen the grapes.
WINE MAKING
The 2018 Greenock Nero d’Avola was harvested on March 23rd and the grapes gently de-stemmed to small open top fermenters. The grapes were fermented for 10 days on skins with hand plunging carried out twice daily. The must was traditionally pressed and immediately filled to seasoned large formate 600 litre French oak barrels and matured for 24 month prior bottling.
TASTING NOTES
The 2018 Greenock Nero d’Avola is deep red in colour. The aroma is inviting with notes of red cherry, wild rose, sweet spice and fresh raspberry. The palate is full but delicate to medium in weight, with generous explosive flavours of red and black berries, red plum, sage and hint of sweet cinnamon spice. Soft natural tannins give the wine a pleasant firmness. A crisp lingering finish is complemented by a tantalising acid structure leaving the plate fresh, which is the hallmark of this stunning wine. This Zitta Greenock Nero d’Avola is drinking well on release and can be cellared for a decade or more.
