Cellar Profile
Region
Sicily is Italy’s largest wine region, producing diverse, high-quality wines, ranging from bold, sun-ripened reds to crisp, volcanic whites and historic dessert wines. Key varieties include Nero d'Avola and Catarratto, with a major focus on native grapes. The island's Mediterranean climate and mineral-rich soils, especially around Mount Etna, offer a unique, vibrant terroir. The northwest corner of Sicily is a historic, high-volume area known for producing the famous fortified Marsala DOC wine, as well as crisp, citrusy white wines from Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto, alongside robust reds like Perricone and Nero d'Avola.
Vineyard
Grapes are sourced from the area around Salemi (Province of Trapani) in the north- west tip of Sicily. The vines are Guyot-trained and grown at around 250m altitude on a combination of soil types, including clay and limstone. The vineyards were converted to organic viticulture in 2007.
Winemaking
The grapes are macerated on the skins for 8-12 days, then racked and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation.
Tasting Notes
Aromas of ripe black fruit with a hint of spice. Rustic and savoury on the palate with rich plum and bramble fruit alongside herbal notes. The soft tannins are balanced by fresh acidity.
Varieties
Nero d'Avola has become synonymous with Sicilian viticulture and is the most planted grape on the island. Growing well in dry conditions, it gives dark-coloured, extracted wines with marked tannic structure. It can become quite heavy in alcohol, but when planted at the higher elevations of Etna often gives lighter, fresher, aromatic wines of elegance. Used primarily as a blending partner for much of its existence, it has grown in popularity with the recent growth in Silician wine sales.