The 2011 Nero d’Avola Deliella is born from the chalky white soils that characterize the best vineyard plots at Feudo Principi di Butera. Deliella boasts an inky, dark appearance and lavish aromas of ripe fruit, prune, pressed blackberry and some distant black olive or Sicilian caper. Oak-driven elements of exotic spice and crushed clove make for pretty aromatic highlights. The wine feels smooth and shows a nice sense of weight on the palate. Drink 2014-2022. Feudo Principi di Butera plays a special role in the modern evolution of Sicilian wine. In 1997, the estate was acquired by the Zonin family of northern Italy. They embarked on an ambitious and expensive project to establish a quality vineyard and lovingly restored the crumbling castle tower that stands at the estate’s most panoramic point. Their investment gave enormous credibility to Sicilian wine because it represented one of the first and most important commitments to the territory by non-Sicilians. More important than what Zonin represents to Sicily, in my opinion, is what Sicily represents to Zonin. Back in the late 1990s, the family from Gambellara (Veneto) was actively trying to rebrand and shed its industrial image. In order to accomplish this goal, the family invested in Italy’s best wine areas (from Piedmont to Chianti Classico) to add top-shelf, estate wines to their increasingly sophisticated portfolio. Sicily – this emerging oenological superpower that had successfully completed its own image makeover, taking it from a quanity to a quality identity – would prove to be the perfect backdrop for the Zonin family narrative. Importer: Zonin USA, www.zoninusa.com