Bonavita, Faro 2020 - 75cl
Faro is one of Italy's smallest and most quietly thrilling appellations, a sliver of terraced vineyard on the hills above Messina looking across the strait to Calabria. Giovanni Scarfone farms just over two hectares here under the Bonavita name, and this is the wine that made people pay attention. It is Etna's less famous cousin, and in a great year it can rival it.
The blend is classic Faro DOC: Nerello Mascalese leading, filled out with Nerello Cappuccio for colour and flesh, and a splash of Nocera, the local grape that brings its bright, saline acidity. 2020 was one of the finest recent vintages here, a breezy, temperate summer giving fully ripe but gently structured fruit. Ageing runs to two years across large old oak, cement and steel, then another year settling in bottle before release.
Expect a wine that leans savoury and wild rather than sweet. Sour cherry and raspberry lead, then flint, dried herbs, a little leather and the scrubby lift of Mediterranean macchia. The tannins are fine and the acidity keeps everything taut and mouth-watering, closing long and stony. This is serious wine at an almost apologetic price, all coastal energy and detail. Drink it now with a decant, or give it three or four years to unfurl further.
How to Serve
Serve at 15-16°C in a Burgundy-style glass to gather the aromatics. A 30-minute decant helps the younger structure settle and coaxes out the herbal, smoky top notes.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot for its love of characterful, off-piste southern Italians. Bentley's for a glass beside grilled fish. Dandy on Maltby Street, whose short, natural-leaning list suits this coastal red.
Food Pairings
Try it with grilled swordfish dressed in salmoriglio, the salty herb sauce echoing the wine's Mediterranean edge. It also stands up nicely to a caponata-topped bruschetta.
