2018 COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Sicily is sold out.

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Sicily’s savory, spiced, one-of-a-kind red

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    2018 COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Sicily 750 ml

    Sold Out

    Sign up to receive notifications when wines from this producer become available.
    • Curated by unrivaled experts
    • Choose your delivery date
    • Temperature controlled shipping options
    • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

    A Sicilian Red That’s the Toast of Master Somms

    We were dining at Bistro Don Giovanni, one of Napa Valley’s best Cal-talian restaurants, when we noticed a table of Master Somms having a great time and hoisting glasses of a ruby-hued elixir. We craned our necks to see what they were drinking—and recognized the squat, eye-catching bottle immediately. It was the COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria. 

    COS hails from the warm, sun-kissed, far southern reaches of Sicily. That might lead you to expect something black and burly, but this wine—with its intensely savory nose of baked black fruit, saddle leather, rosemary,  orange zest, and tilled earth and palate spiced with amaro-like edginess—has more in common with ethereal Burgundy. And it has a fascinating backstory.

    In the late 1970s, outside of the town of Ragusa in southeastern Sicily, Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti, and Cirino Strano (the C, O, and S of COS) dreamt of reviving the island’s ancient viniculture, which dates back to the third century BCE. The three young men wanted to make the wine the traditional way, focusing on biodynamic farming, indigenous grape varieties, and historical blends like Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the classic marriage of Nero d’Avola and Frappato.

    The bottle is eminently distinctive, designed to resemble one unearthed when excavating the property. It’s the perfect conversation-starter for your next dinner party, but the dark-fruited, mouthwatering, tantalizingly spicy wine is what will wow your guests. Pair it with a traditional Sicilian pasta dish like a cheese-laced pasta 'ncasciata or the eggplant- and basil-strewn pasta alla Norma.