One of the earlier vintages of our Nero d’Avola, the 2018 shows just how well this variety can evolve over time. California doesn’t have many plantings of Nero d’Avola, which makes the wine from Fox Hill Vineyard especially fun to revisit with some age.
We ferment the Nero in amphora with the fruit left on the skins beyond fermentation, then basket press in late January and return the wine to amphora for another 8 months. The long skin contact and amphora aging give the wine plenty of depth while keeping the character of the grape intact.
The inspiration for our Nero comes from the classic wines of Sicily, a style Chris loved drinking while working at Terroir in San Francisco. Fox Hill Vineyard is near Ukiah in Mendocino County, with vines that were around 20 years old for this vintage.