Stellar Sicilian Red: 2016 Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola

Stellar Sicilian Red: 2016 Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola

Talk about a ridiculous deal on a 93 point rated Nero d'Avola from one of Sicily's most respected and historically significant producers! The 2016 Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri is about as good as red wine gets for less than 20 bucks.

When I tasted this one last week, the first thing that came to mind was BALANCE. There's terrific harmony between the ripe fruit, the floral/spice notes, and the zesty acids and gentle tannins. Rated 90+ points by four of the leading wine publications out there, this is a ton of wine for the money.

Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola

2016 Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola 

93 points Vinous Media, 92 points James Suckling, 92 points Decanter, 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 

ORDER NOW in our online store. We will apply deal pricing once we receive your order.

I added this one awhile back as a simple shelf placement. We have a lot of Nero d'Avola fans, and the press-to-price ratio on this one was very high. Just last week, I took a bottle home to enjoy with burgers, and I was absolutely blown away. There is a level of "seriousness" and sophistication present in this wine that is rarely encountered in sub-$20 Italian reds. I immediately began negotiations with my distributor, and obviously, it all worked out.

It should come as no surprise that this is a great wine. Tasca d'Almerita wasn't just Wine Enthusiast's 2019 European winery of the year, they are also an 8th generation, family-run estate with very deep pocketsWe have stocked several of their wines over the years, and they're all well made and delicious, but their 2016 Lamuri Nerothe is in another league.

Lamuri means "love" in the Sicilian dialect, and there's a lot to love about this wine. 100% Nero d'Avola grown in sandy soils, this definitely shows the more elegant side of Nero d'Avola. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of body and intensity here, but it's also a very pretty wine. All grapes are hand harvested and after fermentation, the wine is aged for 3-6 months in new and older French oak barrels. The finished wine is very appealing and attractive.

Vinous Media summed it up nicely, saying this one showed "precise aromas of graphite, blueberry, and violet" finishing "with silky tannins and great freshness." James Suckling loved it too, saying he loved the "sweet, floral and mulberry nose of this succulent Nero d’Avola." Last but not least, the Wine Advocate said it "shows a lot of varietal authenticity" and that the "aromas take you straight to Sicily in heart and mind."

If you want to be transported to Sicily during these crazy and troubling times we're living through, this bottle will take you there. Being that this one already has 5 years of age on it, it's in perfect drinking condition, but I still recommend a good 15 to 30 minute aeration. It really struts its stuff with a bit of air. 

ORDER NOW in our online store. We will apply deal pricing once we receive your order.

Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville