Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Minella, Alicante Bouschet & Uva Francesa, Nebbiolo, Sicily, Italy

A stunningly fragrant, volcanic, and old-vine red blend from one of Sicily’s finest. Seemingly equal parts enigma, inventor extraordinaire & grape whisperer, this Belgian winemaker fell in love with wine early on and has since dedicated his life to the craft. From his 64 hectares of vines in the North Valley of Sicily’s Mount Etna (Europe’s largest active volcano), Frank has produced some of the most memorable bottles of the region. His entry-level red, ‘Susucaru’ is a field-blend of old vine, spiced and herbaceous nerello mascalese (85%), complimented with other local varietals like the woodsy nerello cappuccio, smoky alicante bouschet, and aromatically boisterous minnella and uva francesa. Everything sees a light crush before 30 days of skin contact to pull all of these jumping aromatics and weave an elegant texture. Cherry tree, summer wildflowers, juice from a stone, anise and cinnamon bark shavings, with a sweeping vegetal earthiness like clinging weeds on the side of a volcano.