Tasted at Radici: Vero Vini

Angela Galia has been working with wines in Sicily for many years, and in 2005 anagrammed the letters in her daughters' names to come up with Vero Vini. She makes a number of wines, all with labels drawn from Sicilian art, and all with dialectical names.

Vero Vini Lumari Cataratto 2010

Lumari means "as big as the sea." Brassy white with brassy reflections and a fresh bouquet with powerful floral accents, honeydew melon, and some savory notes. On the palate it's fresh, with honeydew melon fruit supported by loquat acidity that flows into a long savory loquat finish. Quite approachable.
2 stars

Vero Vini Ariddhru Grillo 2010

In addition to being a varietal name the word Grillo means cricket, and Ariddhru means both. Brassy yellow with brassy reflections. The bouquet is quite mineral, bringing to mind crumbled granite, with some floral accents as well. And some honey as it opens. On the palate it's full and rich, with unexpected loquat fruit supported by moderate sweetness and acidity, flowing into a clean finish with mineral accents that echo the nose. Enjoyable.
2 stars

Vero Vini Disìu Zibibbo Secco 2010

Desire. This is a 50-50 blend of grapes form Pantelleria and -- I confess, I forgot to note the other source. A very intense floral bouquet with sweetness balanced by some citrus and greenish minerality. Deft, with beautiful complexity and harmony. On the palate it's full, with bright savory lemony fruit supported by clean mineral acidity and spice. Great depth and elegance, with a clean mineral finish that has some sweet notes as well. It will work quite well as an aperitif or with foods -- spaghetti with bottarga come to mind -- and I hated to pour it out.
88-90

Vero Vini Nìuru Sicilia IGT 2009

This is from the Latin Nigrum, black, a reference to the grape color. Deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with savory red berry fruit supported by clean bright berry fruit acidity and some jammy accents. Quite interesting, but very young. On the palate it's fresh, with bright fruit and quite deft, with rich berry fruit supported by tannins that are fairly bright and somewhat splintery, flowing into a clean plum-laced finish. A babe in swaddling clothes, still going in several directions, but quite promising.
2 stars

Vero Vini Cirasa Sicilia IGT 2007

Cirasa means cherry, and this is a Cabernet that spent 6 months in barriques. Deep ruby with a classic Cabernet nose, consisting of grilled green peppers mingling with spiec and some underlying red berry fruit. On the palate it's full and quite smooth, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by greenish belle pepper accents and warmth, flowing into a long warm greenish vanish. Very young, and a very good Cabernet, but… it's much more standard and this much less interesting than the other wines,
2 stars

Vero Vini Bàgghiu IGT Sicilia 2008

A bàgghiu is a walled in threshing ground, and this is a blend of Merlot and Syrah (chec) with no wood. Deep pigeon blood ruby; the nose has graphite shavings mingled with underbrush and mineral spice with some plum fruit; nice complexity. On the palate it's full, round and rich, with nice fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that have some underbrush to them, and cedar that is from the Syrah, flowing into a warm spicy finish. Quite powerful and takes a bit of getting used to -- it's 15% alcohol but this won't prevent it from working well with grilled meats or hearty stews. A nice expression of the varietals and a nice reflection of the terroir, in a rather particular key that has a story to tell.
2 stars

Some fascintaing wines, well worth seeking out!