COS
COS was established in 1980 by three friends—Giambattista Cilia,
Giusto Occhipinti, and Pinuccia Strano—each of whom is represented
by the initial letter of his surname in the winery’s title.
While the venture began purely as a pleasurable pursuit, following
early qualitative success derived from a fairly casual operation,
they adopted a serious orientation, employing modern viticultural
techniques. Today, Cilia and Occhipinti continue to oversee the estate’s
operation.
The estate pays homage to Sicilia’s native grapes, cultivating
wines from Frappato di Vittoria, Nero d’Avola, Inzolia, and
Grecanico. While most of these varietals appear in blends, preeminent
portfolio positioning is accorded to Nero d’Avola, which figures
in several monovarietal bottlings. Nero d’Avola, essentially
an exclusive inhabitant of Sicilia, attains high sugar levels and
surprisingly, despite the heat, exhibits a rather bracing acidity.
When vinified as a single varietal, it fashions a red that often inspires
comparison to Syrah, and, like the latter, is amenable to projecting
a vast stylistic range.
Pojo di Lupo, one of COS’s single-varietal bottlings of note,
emphasizes the dark, meaty character of Nero d’Avola on both
the nose and palate. The pronounced savory dimension of this wine
issues a demand—rather than an invitation—for rich and
succulent meats. The Sicilians may very likely pair it with polpettoni (meatballs),
which they serve as a main course (and are also credited with having
invented) as opposed to a “topper.”
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