Donnafugata, Mille e una Notte, Nero d'Avola, Contessa Entellina DOC 1998
Price $58
Rating 93
Nero d'Avola results in an inky, concentrated red wine and is synonymous with the island of Sicily. The Mille e una Notte boasts aromas of mulberry,blackberry, fudge with fruit and nuts. There are beautiful flavors of chewy fruit and nut fudge, not sweet, blackberry and mint, elegant, and dark roast coffee. This wine is complex. This wine is aged for twenty-four months in small French oak barrels and at least one year in the bottle.

"Excellent with roast and grilled beef, game, braised and stewed meat," says Donnafugata co-owner Ms. José Rollo, "the Mille e una Notte makes a good accompaniment to hard cheeses. Serve at room temperature."

Donnafugata, Anthilia, Sicily IGT 2001 $13
Price $19
Rating 87
"The Italians call this a meditative wine," says Rollo, "it is made from ansonica and catarratto grapes. These are the best two white grape varieties in Sicily. We want to feel the sun and the sea breeze through the vineyard to come out in the glass."

The nose has a hotish, alcohol smell on the delicate, melon and citrus nose. There are flavors of bright melon citrus in the entry with delicate herbal and fruit nuance throughout the wine's good length.

Donnafugata, Chiaranda del Merlo, Ansonica and Chardonnay, Contessa Entellina DOC 2000
Price $22
Rating 89
This blend of two grapes, Sicily's ansonica and New World chardonnay, intrigues with aromas of hazelnut butter, a drop of citrus, a hint of mint, and white peach. There are flavors of pear, apple butter, pear, candied almond, mint, and a bit of alcohol slightly overpowers the finish. This white wine is chewy, almost oily.

There is come confusion possible from the name, Chiaranda del Merlo, which some might read to mean that the wine is made from the merlot grape.

"Served slightly chilled," explains Rollo, "it makes a fine accompaniment to smoked fish hors d'oeuvre, all gourmet fish dishes, mushroom and truffle dishes, poultry and medium seasoned cheeses."

Donnafugata, Tancredi, Contessa Entellina DOC 1999
Price $24
Rating 91
"The vineyard, thanks to the right exposure, the reduced pruning and a big number of vines per hectare, gives a limited production," says Rollo, "The long maceration, during vinification, permits a prolonged ageing period." Maceration is a technique that both extracts more of the grape's color and results in softer, rounder flavored wines.

Donnafugata's Tancredi is primarily nero d'Avola blended with 30% cabernet sauvignon. A sniff reveals dusty blackberry aromas. A sip reveals chewy blackberry, mint, mulberry, coarse black pepper, tobacco, menthol, vanilla/spice and black cherry in the long, delicate finish. Rollo adds that this wine is "excellent with roast beef or a hard cheese such as pecorino, especially from Contessa Entellina."

Donnafugata, Ben Rye Passito di Pantelleria, Moscato d'Alessandria, DOC Sicily 2000
Price $18 half bottle, $36 full bottle
Rating 94
Pronounced "Ben Ree-aa", this nectar-like wine is found on wine lists of some of Italy's finest restaurants. It is packed with flavors of rich apricot nectar, fruit cocktail, hint of cool menthol, honeyed cashew and almond, coconut, marshmallow or nougat, cinnamon, vanilla, and clove.

The wine is made from the must of very well ripened grapes, to which are added naturally dried grapes in the sunny and windy climate of the Sicily. Fermentation at controlled temperature lasts till the end of October. The grape used, Moscato d'Alessandria, is known as zibibbo in Sicily.

"Superlative dessert wine suited to casual sipping," says Rollo, "it makes a fine accompaniment to all fruit-cakes as well as to hard and spicy cheeses. Serve slightly chilled."