Cabernet Sauvignon Sicilia IGT 2012

The Tasca family's Sicilian Cabernet Sauvignon never disappoints and is always one of the most distinctive expressions of the French grape found anywhere in Italy. The 2012 Sicilia Contea di Sclafani Cabernet Sauvignon Tenuta Regaleali is a wine of soaring intensity and authenticity. The bouquet shows dark fruit aromas but it is also characterized by green tones of Mediterranean herb, black olive and caper that link the wine to a sense of place. The tannins are juicy and firm, leading to the promise of long cellar aging potential.

The Tasca family has finished its rebranding efforts and this has caused some confusion regarding how the company name is recorded in The Wine Advocate database. Today, the umbrella group is Tasca Conti d'Almerita and it counts five separate estates in Sicily. The most well known is Tenuta Regaleali, where the heart of the family winemaking occurs thanks to the more than 500 hectares of vines. This property is located in western-central Sicily and much of it falls under the Contea di Sclafani DOC appellation. Next is Tenuta Tascante with two small vineyards on the slopes of the Etna volcano in the Etna DOC appellation (although the Sicilia DOC is used in this case). The word "Tascante" is "Tasca" and "Etna" spelled backwards. The third estate is Tenuta Capofaro on the tiny island of Salina in the Aeolian Archipelago. I have reviewed those wines under my mini-article focused on Malvasia delle Lipari. The Tasca family also oversees the Sallier de le Tour estate in the Monreale DOC, one of the areas most suitable to Syrah. Last is the Tenuta Whitaker, located on the tiny island of Mozia near the city of Trapani. This historic vineyard (owned by the Whitaker Foundation) is planted to Grillo in a unique marine lagoon ecosystem. In the past, the umbrella group Tasca Conti d'Almerita had been listed as "Tasca d'Almerita" and "Tasca d'Almerita Regaleali" in our database. From this point on, I am recording the various properties under the group name "Tasca Conti d'Almerita." Only Sallier de la Tour has been listed as a separate estate. In terms of the wines presented this year, this is the strongest set of new releases that I have ever tasted from the Tasca family. The special anniversary 2010 Riserva del Conte is one of the top wines ever produced in Sicily."