Vinding-Diers Montecarrubo Cuvee Suzanne Terre Siciliane IGT 2020

Houlberg writes: "Danish Peter Vinding-Diers at Montecarrubo in Sicily, Cuvée Suzanne named after his wife Susie.
When Peter lived and worked in Graves in Bordeaux at Château de Landiras, he also made a Cuvée Suzanne, because his wife has always been a source of inspiration for Peter Vinding-Diers.

The grapes come primarily from the Vignolo vineyard near Montecarrubo, which faces east towards the sea. The field is planted with Syrah vines sourced from the Rhône. Otherwise, the rest of the grapes for the wine come from a 4-hectare field in Noto further south.

The grapes for the wine are harvested manually when the tannic acid is ripe, i.e. when the grape seeds are mahogany brown. Pebbles and leaves are then sorted out and the grapes are de-stemmed – also by hand – before they enter the fermentation vats.

After one day's fermentation, the grapes begin to ferment. Every morning and evening the temperature is measured and at the same time the juice is pumped over the skins. Fermentation lasts around 5-6 days with temperature control, which should preferably not exceed 28 degrees.

When the fermentation is complete, the must is pumped into the wooden barrels. Shortly thereafter, the malolactic fermentation begins and a little sulfur is added. The wine then ages for 2-3 months in the French casks and over the next several months each cask is tasted and analyzed before a final selection for this cuvée.

The nose shows a tanned, bold and powerful wine, a little jam, blackcurrant and there is a nice touch of craftsmanship, wet oak barrels, licorice, cinnamon, vanilla, sweetness, cactus, a little eucalyptus, pepper and hard minerals.

In the mouth there is dark and dense fruit, fresh blueberries, a sour edge, good with pepper, balsamic bite and overall the wine is really fresh... and far more than the aroma actually indicated. At the same time, there is a slight fruity sweetness, so it provides a good balance"