COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

COS was founded in 1980 by three friends (Giambattista Cilia, Cirino Occhipinti, and Giusto Strano) who went on to become pioneers of the natural and biodynamic wine movement in Sicily.

The winemaking philosophy at COS for their Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 2022 is anchored in absolute minimalism, biodiversity, and tradition. Founders are famous for pioneering natural wine in Sicily, aiming to let the unique sandy-limestone terroir of Vittoria express itself without the interference of modern chemical additives or heavy oak manipulation.

The Blend is 60% Nero d’Avola, which provides structure, deep color, and dark fruit flavor and 40% Frappato which brings high acidity, bright red fruit aromatics, and elegance. Vines average 25 years of age, grown using the Guyot training system with low yields to ensure maximum flavor concentration and depth. Grapes are entirely hand harvested and meticulously hand-sorted at the winery in September. Nero d'Avola and Frappato are destemmed and co-fermented together. This creates a more seamless, integrated flavor profile from day one. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in open concrete (cement) tanks using 100% indigenous/wild yeasts. No commercial strain yeasts or enzymes are added. The juice undergoes 15 to 20 days of maceration on the skins with gentle pump-overs to extract color, structure, and fine tannins without over-extracting bitter notes.

To meet the stringent legal requirements of the Classico designation (which mandates longer aging than a standard Cerasuolo di Vittoria), COS utilizes a multi-step, traditional aging regimen:

The Wood Phase (1 Year): The wine is transferred to large Slavonian oak botti (massive 4,000-liter casks) where it ages for one year. Because these casks are large and neutral, they do not impart vanilla or baking-spice wood flavors; instead, they allow micro-oxygenation to soften the tannins and stabilize the color.

The Concrete Phase (1 Year): The wine is then moved back into concrete tanks for another year. This helps settle the wine naturally, preserving its pure fruit, stony minerality, and vibrant acidity.

The Bottle Phase (6+ Months): After bottling, it undergoes a final refinement in the cellar for a minimum of 6 months before being shipped.