This Bordeaux blend shows berries, fresh herb like parsley, and hints of vanilla. It’s medium to full body with medium round tannins and a juicy finish. Very pleasant now but will be much better in two or three years. Drink after 2025.

The Planeta 2018 Sicilia Menfi Burdese is a straightforward expression of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Cabernet Franc (30%) with no strings attached. The wine is soft to the palate with medium-rich layers of ripe cherry, plum, soft earth and leather. The tannins are immediate and soft.

With ample intensity and definition, this wine shows the power of two Bordeaux grapes, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc, with the softness and sunny sweetness you might expect of a warm wine territory such as Sicily. The Planeta 2016 Sicilia Menfi Burdese shows a dark garnet appearance and medium rich concentration. Dried spice, scorched earth and black fruit appear on the bouquet. There is a dry, almost dusty quality to the tannins that are present but without any noticeable astringency. This release of 30,000 bottles would match up nicely with a classic Sicilian skillet of fennel sausage, orange slices and bread.

This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc offers power and density with lots of sound varietal purity. The 2015 Sicilia Menfi Burdese is a textured red wine with rich and succulent characteristics that flow to black fruit, spice, tar and smoke. I like the restrained intensity of this sunny and warm vintage.

The 2014 Menfi Burdese is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. The aromatic profile of the wine shows some of the green herbal notes that you often get with the grape. It offers a large platform to primary fruit aromas with some sticky fruit and dark cherry at the back. There is exuberance and mid-weight concentration here, but you also get some green notes or olive and Sicilian caper that are harder to shake.