Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice 2001

Note 1 bottle is 100ml

100 point wine. Fantastic and very rarely offered Italian dessert wine in this size and at the same time in a nice wooden box. The wine has been in my wine cabinet since release and is in perfect condition. The stopper and stand in the bottle are perfect.

Avignonesis Occhio Di Pernice is among the best and most coveted passito wines in the world, and has for several years scored the magical 100 Points in Wine Advocate and WineSpectator. The wine is made from 100% sangiovese and aged for a decade in small "Caratellis" which are small casks of 25 liters. The wine is rich, concentrated and complex with layers of Mediterranean herbs, lemon, plums, fruitcake, licorice and nuts.

Occhio di Pernice (partridge eye, so named because of its light brown glow) is the generic name of a vin santo made exclusively from red grapes, although this particular category of sweet wines is mostly white. For many years, Avignonesi was the only producer of the wine first sold in 1974.
The wine is made from 100% prugnolo gentile, which is the local clone of sangiovese found in Montepulciano. It is made from the best grapes that are dried on reed mats for at least six months. The process is called appassimenta. The grapes lose at least 70% of their original fluid. The must that comes out of it is slowly squeezed drop by drop and has an oil-like consistency. The dense nectar is then poured into small oak barrels called caratelli, and here it ferments under seal for 10 years.


According to Burton Anderson, Avignonesis Occhio di Pernice is "perhaps Italy's most beloved sweet wine". The wine is extremely well-groomed with a sweet and juicy structure and has a complex bouquet full of dried fruit, figs and spices, reminiscent of aged cognac. Full-bodied aroma and sweetness are balanced by refreshing tannins and an unusual length.