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Oliver McCrum
The Wine
This bottling is one of Centopassi’s most site‑specific expressions of Nero d’Avola, drawn from the clay‑rich soils of Contrada Tagghia Via - a carved, eroded hillside parcel whose name reflects the “cut” or “notch” terrain typical of this part of Sicily.
The 2022/2023 era of the wine (the estate releases by cuvée rather than strict vintage branding) shows dark cherry, blackberry, licorice root, and a warm spice profile that feels distinctly inland Sicilian. The clay here gives Nero d’Avola its depth and its slow, even ripening: broad fruit, supple tannins, and a savory, almost volcanic undertone. Fermentation is in stainless steel with gentle extraction, keeping the wine vibrant rather than heavy. The finish is long, dark‑fruited, and quietly earthy.
Pairings: This style thrives with grilled meats, tomato‑based pasta, roasted eggplant, and aged sheep’s milk cheeses. Nero d’Avola’s natural richness makes it a perfect match for anything with char, herbs, or slow‑cooked Sicilian flavors.
The Winery
Centopassi is the wine project of the anti‑mafia cooperative Libera Terra (free land - i.e., free of mafia control). Libera Terra farms reclaimed vineyards once controlled by organized crime.
The movement is directly connected to a well-known anti-mafia film - I Cento Passi - a title ("one hundred steps") referring to the distance between the home of a young anti-mafia activist and that of the local mafia boss.
Their vineyards stretch across western and central Sicily, with a focus on organic farming, biodiversity, and transparent expression of place. The Tagghia Via parcel sits in a zone of mixed clays and carved terraces, shaped by wind and erosion, and the estate treats it as a micro‑cru for Nero d’Avola. Centopassi’s wines are deliberately honest: no makeup, no excess oak, just the raw character of Sicilian land and the people who steward it.
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