“Shiva”, Terre Siciliane Bianco

“Shiva” is named in homage to Hinduism’s supreme being—the great god of destruction and rebirth. Aldo Viola only makes it when the vintage inspires him, and there's no rule as to what variety it will comprise or how it will be made; thus, just as the god can assume multiple forms, so can the wine. Late-harvested from Aldo's oldest Catarratto vines, it is macerated for several weeks on its skins, then pressed and aged 1 year in French oak barrels. 30% of the harvest is dried before fermentation, lending it a walloping concentration of fruit. This maelstrom of a wine encompasses a multitude of aromas and flavors, from soaring spices to dried herbs to fruit leather to beef stock, and the palate displays unabashed intensity.