Considered the pinnacle of Sicilian wine, Frank Cornelissen has gained a cult following over the past few years. His Susucaru Rosso is a red wine and is not to be confused with the Susucaru Rosato, which is a rose. The Susucaru Rosso used to be called Contadino, but the name was changed in 2018 but remained one of Cornelissen's best buys. Although this is considered his entry-level red wine, there is nothing entry about it. The Susucaru Rosso is a blend of 85% Nerello Mascalese. The remaining 15% is comprised of Nerello Capuccio, Minella Nera, Allicante Bouschet, and Minella Bianco from vines with an average age of 50+ years old grown on volcanic soils. The grapes are sourced from multiple Contras, or single vineyards, including those used in his single-vineyard bottlings like Picciolo, Malpasso, Campo Re, Crasà, Piano Daini, Feudo di Mezzo. These vines are largely ungrafted and grown at high elevation, producing a wine that can be surprisingly Pinot Noir like. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed, and fermented using wild yeast. Susucaru Rosso is elegant and fresh with upfront appeal but is quite structured and intense, with a unique minerality that you can only get from these old vines grown on volcanic soils. Cornelissen's is a master, making some of Italy's best wines, only imported in very small quantities and usually at very high prices. We were able to get a fair amount of the 2019, which is the current vintage for the Susucaru Rosso. While pricing for Cornelissen keeps rising, and with the single vineyard crus going for close to $100, the Susucaru Rosso is the best buy in the range and gives a glimpse of the seriousness of Cornelissen's wines without the price tag.
2019 Frank Cornelissen Susucaru Rosso
2019 Frank Cornelissen Susucaru Rosso
$34.99
$34.99
Considered the pinnacle of Sicilian wine, Frank Cornelissen has gained a cult following over the past few years. His Susucaru Rosso is a red wine and is not to be confused with the Susucaru Rosato, which is a rose. The Susucaru Rosso used to be called Contadino, but the name was changed in 2018 but remained one of Cornelissen's best buys. Although this is considered his entry-level red wine, there is nothing entry about it. The Susucaru Rosso is a blend of 85% Nerello Mascalese. The remaining 15% is comprised of Nerello Capuccio, Minella Nera, Allicante Bouschet, and Minella Bianco from vines with an average age of 50+ years old grown on volcanic soils. The grapes are sourced from multiple Contras, or single vineyards, including those used in his single-vineyard bottlings like Picciolo, Malpasso, Campo Re, Crasà, Piano Daini, Feudo di Mezzo. These vines are largely ungrafted and grown at high elevation, producing a wine that can be surprisingly Pinot Noir like. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed, and fermented using wild yeast. Susucaru Rosso is elegant and fresh with upfront appeal but is quite structured and intense, with a unique minerality that you can only get from these old vines grown on volcanic soils. Cornelissen's is a master, making some of Italy's best wines, only imported in very small quantities and usually at very high prices. We were able to get a fair amount of the 2019, which is the current vintage for the Susucaru Rosso. While pricing for Cornelissen keeps rising, and with the single vineyard crus going for close to $100, the Susucaru Rosso is the best buy in the range and gives a glimpse of the seriousness of Cornelissen's wines without the price tag.
