2009 was a tremendous vintage in southern Italy. The vintage produced some of the best wines in Sicily, including the 2009 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico from COS, the acclaimed estate co-owned by Giusto Occhipinti, Arianna Occhipinti's uncle and early mentor. COS has long been recognized as one of the greatest Sicilian wine estates. The Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico is their most classic release.
In search of adventure during their youthful days, Giambattista Cilla (C), Giusto Occhipinti (O), and Pinuccia Strano (S), formed COS in 1980 to make wine for pleasure. At that time the three Sicilians were Italy's youngest winemakers.
In Cerasuolo di Vittoria in the Sicilian province of Ragusa in the island's southern coast, the three friends rented their parents' vineyards and began harvesting, pressing grapes, and making wine under their own label. Operating with this independence of spirit, without an oenologist, basing winemaking decisions on experience, intuition, and imagination, COS became a lifelong project of expressing the terroir, passion, and culture of this part of Sicily in its most authentic form.
COS applies biodynamics to viticulture to maintain balance and harmony in the vineyard and to express its character. In the cellar, in order to not impart any characteristic flavors, cement tanks are used in the vinification and the wines are aged in neutral oak casks (botti) and clay amphoras.
Today COS is making wines that are the purest expression of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the only DOCG appellation in Sicily. In their wines we discover that this particular area of Sicily has one of the greatest terroirs, producing wines with indigenous grapes that are as delicious and complex as any you would find from world's greatest vineyard sites.
The 2009 Cerasuolo di Vittoria, made from a blend of Frappato and Nero d'Avola is stunning, one of the finest vintages for this classic wine from COS.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico DOCG, Az. Agr. COS 2009 $31.00 (Click to buy!)
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