Alessandro Viola – Rosso Isi 2019

Alessandro Viola’s 2019 Rosso Isi is made of 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Nerello Mascalese, planted on sandy, clayey soil at 220 metres altitude. After a manual harvest in the first week of September, the grapes were destemmed, crushed and loaded into stainless steel tanks, where they macerated with their skins for four days. Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts, without additions or temperature control. After pressing, the wine was aged for six months in stainless steel. It was then bottled unfiltered and unfined, with no sulphites added.

Alessandro Viola’s 2019 Rosso Isi has a brilliant, ruby-red color and a joyous, fruit-forward nose, filled with aromas of cherries, raspberries and blackberries. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, juicy and thirst-quenching, bursting with notes of cherries, forest fruits, herbs and some liquorice. A ridiculously easy-drinking red wine.

About Alessandro Viola

Near the Sicilian town of Alcamo, Alessandro Viola runs a small winery called Uva Tantem. His vineyards are located on the northwestern slopes of Mount Bonifitato, at around 250 metres above sea level, and are planted with indigenous varieties like Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Catarratto. Viola comes from a long line of winemakers and holds degrees in viticulture and oenology, having done internships in Piedmont and Georgia. His philosophy is simple: make wine using nothing else than grapes. “In wine there is a perfect chemical balance, only nature can go that far, who are we to do better than nature?”