Coccinella Syrah Viola 2022

Coccinella Syrah Viola, natural wine, pure Syrah, no oak, soft, silky, elegant style.  Coccinella means ladybug in Italian, possibly a reference to a preponderance of them in the vineyards, we are not sure!  In any case, this wine is pure nature and authenticity.  There is no oak in the wine making but the style of Syrah here is soft and easy on the palate, not a sledge hammer wine like from the new world or overly tannic like some of the Syrah’s from the Northern Rhone.  The wine has notes of soft dark fruits, subtle spices and black olive finished with a lovely freshness on the finish.  It is ideal for Sicilian Sausages made with fennel and cooked over vine shoots, or maybe the classic Pasta alla Norma.

Aldo Viola wine hails from the beautiful town of Alcamo in northern Sicily.  The vineyards lie just inland on hillside slopes on various terroir with different aspects and altitudes.

Viola could be called a natural warrior.  He is a 4th generation wine maker working 8 hectares according to organic and biodynamic principles.  He uses little oak in his production, preferring to give primacy to the pure fruit flavours of his grapes.  He works mainly with Grillo and Catarratto for the whites and Syrah for the reds.  

He uses long skin maceration on some of the whites which yield very deep, complex and profound orange wines.  By contrast, his reds are more subtle, lower alcohol than most Sicilian Syrah with a lovely fresh, soft mouthfeel.

Aldo does not fine or filter his wines and uses very little if any sulphur.  The wines are pure and authentic but clean, very rarely with VA or any unusual aromas.  Delicious and easy to enjoy wines.