Bonavita Faro 2011

Bonavita is a small family-run winery that sits on the steep hills overlooking the straits of Messina and the coast of Calabria in the distance. The vineyards, surrounded by chestnut and oak trees, have belonged to the Scarfone family for almost a century, but it is only recently that the 28-year-old Giovanni has decided to dedicate himself to the making of this historic wine of Sicily. The DOC Faro, one of Sicily's oldest, takes its name from the village of Faro Superiore which was founded in ancient times by a Greek population called "Pharii" who colonized the hills of Messina and introduced agricultural practices, especially the cultivation of vines. The wine is a blend of three indigenous grapes, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Capuccio, and Nocera; a big, chewy wine with plenty of earthy complexity, it has a serious structure that will permit the wine to age gracefully for several more years.