2007 Occhipinti Il Frapatto Sicilia IGT 12.5%
Seductive cocktail of strawberry confit and herbs, lovely and distinctive. So fresh and sylvan that you can picture hares hopping in the glade. Before food, the initial rush of acidity overwhelms the fruit, often the mark of a gastronomic wine, and a promise of balance. Later delivered in spades, drop-dead delicious with every drop, and perfectly balanced with a fatty cheese like Kunik. Last August I found the nose charming but the mouth a bit light, but last night (and in the Who Needs Tuscany or Piedmont tasting last week) this had filled out with sexy gravitas and become everything I'd want it to be. If neither Arianna nor I were married, I'd hop on the first boat.