Here is another iconic wine from Sicily that was one of the proud participants in the Sicilian wine Renaissance some two decades ago. The 2009 Sole dei Padri is a pure expression of Syrah that Prince Spadafora had dedicated to his daughter. The wine is super charged in its varietal personality with dark fruit, cured meat and black pepper that peel off in thick layers. By the same token, the wine delivers a balsamic note of rosemary, licorice and dark cola that is impossible to miss. The integration is seamless and the wine is enormously generous in terms of intensity. I'd safely give it a ten-year drinking window. The tertiary aromas are already showing and add complexity. The 2009 vintage is still an IGT Sicilia wine.

A landmark Sicilian wine, the 2008 Sole dei Padri is 100% Syrah from the Monreale hills above Palermo. This is a dark and impenetrable wine with inky flavors of cherry syrup, creme de cassis, exotic spice, leather, tobacco and dark chocolate. It’s not a great territory wine, but it is a great expression of the grape. The mouthfeel is luscious, velvety soft and handsomely persistent in terms of its long delivery of flavors. Drink 2015-2025. Prince Francesco Spadafora operates outside of Palermo and keeps a relatively low profile. To my mind, he makes some of the best Syrah available today, not just in Sicily but in Italy at large. I have always known this estate as “Spadafora,” but I see that the wine labels now read “Dei Principi di Spadafora” as the brand name. I mention that to avoid any confusion. Importer: Montcalm Wine Importers, www.montcalmwines.com

Bold and black with impenetrable thickness and inky tones of blackberry, smoked ham and peppercorn, this is a dense and opulent wine that shows the best of sunny Sicily with spicy overtones and a thick, full feel.——M.L.(5/1/2009)—— 91

Well balanced, rustic, bright, vivid. An attractive wine with a touch of elegance.