The 2011 Eloro Sciave is 95% Nero d’Avola (with blended local grapes) that sees up to 18 months between barrique and tonneaux. This is a wine of enormous pedigree and importance that serves to heighten the image of Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s red wine protagonist. The softness and smoothness of the mouthfeel are remarkable and the wine offers a generous serving of ripe fruit, spice and moist chewing tobacco. The distracting scorched earth aromas you generally get from this grape are not present. Sciave shows the acidity and structure for a five-year drinking period, maybe more. Drink 2014-2020. Proprietors Massimo and Marianta Padova are among the rising stars in the Ragusa/Siracusa area of Sicily. Farming is organic and winemaking embraces a non-interventionists’ or partially biodynamic philosophy. These wines are definitely worth checking out, as this is Nero d’Avola at its highest expression. I’m sure we’ll hear more from Riofavara and the Eloro DOC area in the future. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, www.kermitlynch.com