The hot vintage shows in the Donnafugata 2017 Tancredi with some flatter and more concentrated fruit weight. Even the wine's color shows a dark garnet hue and less of the shiny ruby we saw in cooler vintages. The finish is heavy and flat. This vintage has suffered and is not its usual self.

Donnafugata's Tancredi is one of Sicily's most popular red wines, and it's easy to see why. The 2016 Tancredi is rich and soft at the same time, with a very pleasing texture that caresses the palate with dark fruit, spice and plum. The wine is mostly a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d'Avola, although some Tannat and other grapes are thrown in. It ages in oak for 14 months. This is a complete effort that boasts thick layering and volume. Some 89,000 bottles were made.

The 2014 Tancredi is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Nero d'Avola. The wine is creamy and dense with excellent concentration and a smooth style that leaves an especially warm feeling in the mouth. Tancredi is one of those go-to wines when you want something good, but you don't want to think too hard. It offers happy, quality drinking. This is my favorite vintage of Tancredi to date.

The 2013 Tancredi opens to a darkly saturated appearance with mid-weight extraction. The bouquet is bright and balanced with a long succession of dark fruit aromas followed by spice, leather and tobacco. This is a contemporary, well-built red wine from Sicily that would pair with all your standard pork or beef dishes. The wine is versatile and immediately approachable.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat and Nero d'Avola, the 2012 Tancredi is one of Sicily's most consistent red wines. It is soft and luscious with plenty of dark fruit and blackberry that is followed by black olive, caper and rosemary. There are balsam notes of cola and medicinal herb although they appear as distant accents. This edition is especially ripe and well concentrated. Tancredi is aged in oak for 14 months.