Occhipinti Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Grotte Alte 2016

95 points James Suckling: "The raspberry and red-flower aromas are very enticing, but this is also deep and sophisticated with notes of terra cotta and smoke. Sleek and concentrated palate with fine-grained tannins. Very long, fresh and mineral finish. Drink or hold. (9/6/21)"

94+ points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "This is perhaps the most classically beautiful of Arianna Occhipinti new releases and is probably the best wine I have yet tasted from this dynamic winemaker located in Vittoria. The intensity and purity of the 2016 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Grotte Alte are unmistakable. This wine pops with fresh cherry, raspberry, wild rose, balsam herb and a touch of iron ore or rusty nail. The blend of fruit is equal parts Nero d'Avola and Frappato (aged in large Slavonian oak casks for 32 months), and the results show impeccable balance and graceful composure. To the palate, the wine is slender and slimmed down, but there is enough texture and richness to power a long, silky finish. A mere 6,335 bottles exist. Drink: 2021-2028. (Nov 2021)"

93 points Eric Guido (Vinous): "[$85 list] The 2016 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Grotte Alte is darkly alluring yet also incredibly pretty, as crushed violets and sweet smoke are contrasted by hints of grilled citrus and blackberries. Its silky textures wash shades of black and purple-tinged fruits across a core of zesty acids, leaving minerals and a bitter twang of lemon peels. Round tannins coat the palate with youthful poise, as this tapers off long to hints of licorice and savory exotic spice. The Grotte Alte is lifted yet displays amazing concentration and an almost nervous energy. Give this equal-parts blend of Frappato and Nero d'Avola a few years of cellaring, and watch it shine. Drink: 2023-2028. (Jun 2021)"

50% Frappato/50% Nero d'Avola. Grotte Alte is Arianna's only DOCG wine, in this case Vittoria's most famous, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, and made from a blend of the best native varietals, Nero d'Avola and Frappato. "Grotte Alte" is named for the limestone ridges on which the Occhipinti estate lies, straddling and combining both Mediterranean and mountain influences, with red and sandy clay soils over limestone at about 280 meters. Coming from a selection of older vines, a longer maceration and barrel aging, the Grotte Alte is essentially the "grown-up", appellation-designated version of the "baby" SP68 red IGT wine.