Villa Tonino is owned by the Curatolo family. They have been producing Marsala for well over a century and are still the oldest Marsala house in family ownership. This is a wine producer with a great sense of history and tradition behind it. Their wine production started in 2000 with the passion of Giuseppe Curatolo and his son Matteo as the driving force. Since then they have gained from the expertise of wine maker Alberto Antonini and the wines finesse and overall freshness is improving year on year. The Nero d'Avola grapes come from the region of Marsala and central Italy, areas not known for their production of this variety. The cool climate of the coast combined with the dry hot weather of the interior make for a superbly balanced wine. Power and richness are complimented by aromatics and freshness.

Tasting Note: I tasted this with some friends over home made Tagliatelle and sausage. The marriage was perfect. Nero d'Avola in my view struggles to be a very high quality wine and lacks the complexity and subtlety of some of Sicily's other varieties. But at this price it is superb! The nose is of intense plums and blackberries with mocha and leather undertones. On the palate the rich dark fruit does its job perfectly and the tannins and acidity are well balanced. The finish is unsophisticated but still spicy and good! This is lovely as an everyday wine for any meat dishes.

Type: Medium to full bodied dry red wine

Varietal: 100% Nero d'Avola

Alcohol: 13.5% abv

Vineyard Location: Sicily

Bottles produced: Approximately 100,000 bottles produced by the entire estate