96 Pts Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2010 Maldafrica is the single wine that left the longest lasting impression on me following my grand tasting of Sicilian wine in February 2014. The blend is 50-50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and the wine ages in oak for 12 months. It’s hard to know where to start because there’s so much to say. First off, this is a wine that does not carry its beauty in an obvious manner. It’s a subtle, nuanced stunner that gracefully seduces your senses following its own determined schedule. In other words, it's not love at first sight: It's love after a steady and tireless courtship. Once it has proven what it's worth, Maldafrica lavishes the senses with dark fruit, spice, chopped herb, saline notes, brimstone, leather and moist tobacco. The mouthfeel is incredibly long, lasting way over a minute and the acidity offers the perfect level of tartness to keep your senses refreshed. Many years ago, someone told me that love for Sicily is like a 'maldafrica' (an inner nostalgia for a distant land) and I have often used the term to describe my own feelings for the Mediterranean island. Drink 2015-2028."

"Over the many years I have tasted the wines of COS, I don't remember a lineup with as many stunning, standout wines as what is available now. COS was founded in 1980 by three friends whose last name initials spell out C-O-S: Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano. Giusto is the face of the winery today. From the start, COS sparked a revolution on two fronts. First, the quality of the wines produced lent untold credibility to the Cerasuolo di Vittoria appellation in southern Sicily and to the Frappato grape. Today, it is one of the island's most promising territories. Second, COS was among the first to bring biodynamic and so-called 'natural' winemaking to southern Italy. Those efforts proved - most certainly in my mind - that Sicily is the most suited area for these winemaking philosophies thanks to the island’s near-ideal growing conditions and weather. It's no surprise that Sicily's poster girl for natural wines is Giusto's niece, the super dynamic and simpatica Arianna Occhipinti. Giusto's vision has already inspired a legacy." (05/14)