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Gueli

Calcareus Nero d'Avola 2015

Price: $44.95
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Tasting notes

Calcareus spends 40 days on skins in open concrete vats, giving it a savory depth — dried cherry, black pepper, and Mediterranean herbs — that is uncommon in Sicilian Nero d'Avola at this price point. The limestone-clay soils of Scintilia at 500 meters keep the acidity lively, preventing the wine from tipping into the overripe register typical of warmer-grown versions.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Ripe CherryBlack PepperGarrigueRaspberry
  • Style: Full-bodied red; deep ruby with violet tones; ripe cherry, black pepper, balsamic herbs; 13.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Nero d'Avola; organic; limestone-clayey dark soils; Scintilia locality, Grotte (AG); 450-550m asl; vines planted 2000
  • Winemaking: Native yeast fermentation; 40-day maceration in open 2000 kg concrete vats; 24-30 months in 220L used oak barrels; 6 months bottle aging; unfined, unfiltered; zero added sulfites
  • Serving: Serve at 62-65F; 30-45 min decant recommended given extended oak aging
  • Pairing: Braised lamb, slow-cooked meat ragu, aged Pecorino Siciliano, grilled beef
  • Similar To: For fans of structured, savory Syrah or southern Italian reds like Aglianico who want a long-aged natural wine

Calcareus is 100% Nero d'Avola sourced from the Scintilia locality in Grotte, province of Agrigento, at 450-550 meters above sea level. The vineyard sits on limestone-clayey dark soils — the name Calcareus references this calcium-rich, stony ground directly. Vines were planted in 2000 and are trained using the local Tendone pergola structure. The appellation is Terre Siciliane IGT.

Fermentation and maceration run together for 40 days in open 2000 kg concrete vats at 28-30°C, with manual punch-downs and native yeasts only. No additions, no fining, no filtration. After fermentation the wine ages 24-30 months in 220-liter used oak barrels, then spends another 6 months in bottle before release. Total sulfur dioxide is 6-15 mg/l with zero added sulfites.

On the nose: ripe cherry, balsamic herbs, black pepper, and a lifted medicinal quality. The palate is full-bodied with tart cherry acidity and fine, fresh tannins. Compared to the estate's Erbatino (from chalky talc-like soils), Calcareus is the more robust and rounded of the two cuvees, with greater weight coming from the limestone-clay terroir.

Gueli farms organically. Only organic fertilizers and green manures are used in the vineyards, with weeds managed mechanically. The vines are field-grafted directly onto wild rootstock cuttings taken from selected healthy vineyards, resulting in a non-clonal plant system of diverse biotypes.

The wine's tart cherry acidity and balsamic herb notes make it a natural fit with lamb braised with tomatoes and olives, or a slow-cooked Sicilian meat ragu. It also works well with aged Pecorino Siciliano or hard cheeses with a nutty edge. Avoid very delicate fish dishes — the tannin structure and oak presence need protein and fat to show at their best.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Full Body
Grapes:, Nero d'Avola
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2015
Alcohol:, 13.5%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Sicily
Appellation:, Terre Siciliane IGT
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Gueli

Azienda Agricola Gueli was founded in 1986 by Vincenzo Gueli in the countryside of Grotte, Agrigento, southern Sicily. The estate covers 10 hectares divided between Nero d'Avola vineyards and almond orchards at altitudes between 450 and 550 meters above sea level. Today Vincenzo's three sons, Giuseppe, Calogero, and Davide, manage the farm's development and production.

The Gueli family farms organically, using only organic fertilizers and green manures to maintain soil microbiology. Weeds are controlled mechanically or by hand hoe. Vines are field-grafted onto wild rootstock cuttings selected from healthy existing vineyards, creating a non-clonal system with diverse biotypes within each plot. The decision to plant Nero d'Avola in two distinct vineyard sites with different soil types — limestone-clay at Scintilia and chalky talc-like soils at Rametta — allows the family to produce two separate single-site cuvees, Calcareus and Erbatino.

Winemaking follows a traditional no-intervention approach the family calls a return to the old Sicilian 'Palmento' method. Grapes are harvested manually at the end of September and fermented with native yeasts in open concrete tanks of 2000 kg capacity at 28-30°C. Maceration runs for 40 days with frequent manual punch-downs. The wine then ages 24-30 months in 220-liter used oak barrels before spending a further 6 months in bottle. No fining, no filtration. Total sulfur dioxide is kept to 6-15 mg/l with zero sulfites added at any stage.

Wine region

Sicily, Italy

Grotte is a small inland hill town in the province of Agrigento in south-central Sicily, situated not far from the Valley of the Temples. At 450-550 meters above sea level the elevation moderates what would otherwise be extreme heat, giving grapes a longer hang time and preserving acidity. The area sits well away from the southeastern coastal zones of Noto and Pachino most commonly associated with Nero d'Avola, making Gueli's expression of the grape notably different in character: more mineral, more herb-driven, less purely fruit-forward.

Sicily's wine classification system reorganized significantly in 2011 with the creation of the Sicilia DOC and later in 2017 when rules stipulated that varietal Nero d'Avola and Grillo wines had to carry the Sicilia DOC designation, moving them out of Terre Siciliane IGT. The 2015 Calcareus was produced before this change and carries the Terre Siciliane IGT designation. Across the island Nero d'Avola is the dominant red variety, known for deep color, robust tannin, and alcohol levels typically ranging from 13.5% to 14.5% ABV, though high-elevation sites like Grotte produce wines with more freshness and structure than low-lying coastal versions.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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