Nero d'Avola 2022, IGP Siciliane, Cantine Paolini

Big step up in quality over most Nero d'Avola, a grape variety that we're very fond of. This wine is very modern in attitude so it avoids the 'dusty' tannins and 'jamminess' that can afflict the cheaper versions wines (caused by poor winemaking and not the grape's fault!) Lovely Mediterranean aromas of ripe berries and garrigue herbs are followed by flavours of sweet cassis, sloe and red cherry. Ripe, fine-grained tannins give balance to the fruit so, yet again, this is another Italian red that hits top form with food.