Feudo Arancio is a Sicilian winery owned by the large producer Gruppo Mezzacorona.
Their 1,700 acres of vineyards are located on Sicily's southern coast,
and the winery specializes in single-variety wines including Grillo and
Nero d'Avola, in addition to the Syrah I'll write about here.
I had the Arancio Syrah at the Los Angeles Italian eatery Fabroncini,
near Beverly Glen and Mulholland. It's a favorite place for Denise and
I to drop in for some great Italian food and wine. They sell the
Arancio Syrah for $8 by the glass, and it appears to be available for
about that price by the bottle in retail.
The
waiter did not recommend the wine very highly, but I love Syrah and
don't get the chance to experience it in its Italian form very often. I
waved off his admonition and ordered it anyway. I'm glad I did.
It's
very inky in the glass, with a nose that is just as dark. Herbal notes
lace around a tarry aroma with blackberry fruit on display, although it
is not so pronounced as one might expect in a California or Australian
Syrah.
The
flavor of blackberry and black cherry dominate the palate, however, and
there's a little tar evident. Licorice notes join a very nice
minerality and the acidity is in top form. The tannic structure is very
soft, possibly not what many Syrah lovers may like. I find it quite
nice, and at less than $10 per bottle retail, it's a great wine to look
for when you're in the mood for an easy-drinking, food-friendly Italian.
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