Sizzling Sicilians

Catatonic in Catania

When Eric first visited Sicily he came back empty-handed and empty-hearted. A lot of travelling in the land of crazy drivers and cassata and slurping endless dire, confected whites and joyless, sloppy, jam-bang-no-thank-you ma’am reds sapped the investigative drive. First impressions are often erroneous and an island the size of Sicily surely had growers plying their artisan craft and making wines that expressed the combination of the unusual indigenous grape varieties and the remarkable terrain, but this was a region that would necessitate four or five trips to uncover the sources of excellence. Even with our wonderful range of producers and estates from across the island, that we would probably say that Sicily is not a unified region and does not have a strong wine culture. Whilst there are outstanding individual growers making extraordinary wines - some rediscovering tradition, others injecting vital modernity into their projects – the vast bulk (I use those words advisedly) of (over)production is, at best, mediocre.

Located in the hills between the communes of Salemi and Trapani Azienda Agricola Ceuso is a tiny estate of 30 hectares (of which 22 are cultivated to vines on limestone and clay soils) started by three brothers - Antonino, Giuseppe, and Vincenzo Melia - who had careers as a farmer, oenologist, and agronomist respectively before opening shop in 1990. Their Alcamo-area winery is still a work in progress, housed in a weather-beaten old baglio that’s slowly being renovated. This estate is. Density of planting is 4,600 wines per hectare and production is about 45 to 50 hectolitres per hectare. The climate is mild in winter with dry and windy conditions during spring and summer. Harvest is done by hand, usually at the end of September. 

Scurati is made up from 100% Nero d’Avola. Maceration is on the skins for 12-14 days at a controlled temperature of 28 degrees centigrade in stainless steel tanks. After a total malolactic fermentation the wine is aged for a further six months in cement vats.  The wine is very clean in nature and tastes of plum and black berries and a velvety chocolate finish.  The wine would go well with grilled vegetables and even better with lighter meats or try Maccu, broad beans sometimes eaten with wild chicory, sometimes with roasted tomatoes, fried peppers and broccoli and served as a thick soup.

The dense colour of the Ceuso predicts the super-concentration it provides on the palate, a grande vino in size and scope. Spiciness begins in the aroma, where the fruit mingles with scents of woody green herbs (such as the rosemary for the roast lamb you might serve with this glamorous red). Then that spiciness builds across the palate, carried on a wave of plush red fruit and deep-toned tannins. Through the finish, the full-bore spiciness goes on and on. Superb elegance for its size; this blend of Nero d’Avola, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is supple and extravagantly black. The wine is a plush mouthful of sweetly ripe fruit and ferrous tannins, filled out with toasted oak - a far cry from the cooked-tasting reds that once characterized Sicily and much of the Italian south.

The Fazio vineyards cover an area of about 100 hectares planted on hills at an altitude from 250 and 500 metres (820-1640 feet), in areas specifically selected for their exposition, microclimatic advantages (northerly winds and sea breezes) and the geological characteristics of the soil.  The vineyards are mainly cultivated with the typical autochthonous grapes of Sicily: Inzolia, Grillo, Catarratto for the whites- and Nero d’Avola, for reds, although here, as elsewhere in Sicily, foreign interlopers abound most notably Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. However, among the “international” grapes, Fazio winery is particularly involved in the cultivation of Müller-Thurgau, planted at high altitude producing with this grape a delicious wine that is also quite serious.  Brusio, a tank-fermented blend of Inzolia and Chardonnay, reveals a brilliant greenish yellow colour and nuances of greenish yellow, The nose is aromatic with hints of honeysuckle and acacia and the palate has a crisp attack which is balanced by alcohol, good body, intense flavours. The finish is persistent with flavours of peach, pear and pineapple. The Grillo is a more serious wine exhibiting peach and pear followed by aromas of broom, almond, apple and pineapple. The Muller-Thurgau reveals intense, clean, pleasing and refined aromas which start with hints of peach, grape and pear followed by aromas of orange, pineapple, yellow rose, broom and apple.

The Montelimo is from the winery’s own vineyards in Erice and is a blend of Nero d’Avola (70%) and Merlot (30%). The grapes are destalked, given a carbonic maceration and soft pressing of the skins at a controlled temperature. The wine is ruby red with intense red berry aromas and a full smooth palate redolent of strawberries and cherries. The Shiraz/Syrah is ruby red in colour with an understated bouquet of red berries and vanilla with a full velvety flavour that has hints of fruit and spices.

The entire production of Caruso & Minini takes place in a picturesque old “baglio” in the heart of the Marsala wine-producing area. The relatively adjacent vineyards, located on the north and west facing sandy-clay slopes of the hill of Giummarella (15km east of Marsala in the commune of Salemi), are ideal for the production of aromatic white wines. Vinification is modern: grapes are chilled down and vinified in stainless steel with temperature controlled fermentation at 16-18 degrees for twenty days. The wine then remains in tank for months and then for a further two in bottle before release.  Clear with a bright straw-colour it shows rather lush, fresh-fruit aromas that blend citrus and melon and fresh white fruit with an intriguing whiff of musk. Full and round in texture it is given structure by snappy citric fruit and tingling acidity; there’s a hint of flowers and a slight drying sensation in the long finish.  The Grecanico grapes from western facing vines on loam and clay soils, harvested by hand and put in small boxes and also fermented at cool temperatures. One writer describes this little number thus: “This is an intense Sicilian of delicious originality.  Aromatic and stunningly structured, the fruit has a faint echo, quite startling as a talking-point, of fresh toffee apple – but one crafted by Heston Blumenthal. Texture? Every so slightly crumpled satin”. This is remarkably serious wine for the price with a vinous quality. The nose is reminiscent of orange blossom, but the palate is more rounded like the flesh of a pear.For decades the Perricone, or the so-called pignatello, has been the undisputed leader of the red grapes in western Sicily. The grapes come from a small 2.1 hectare vineyard in Giumarella at 260 m altitude with a south east exposure on sandy clay soils. Careful selection of the grapes picked up by hand. Followed by maceration and fermentation of the destemmed grapes in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 25°C for 15-20 days. Malolactic fermentation and ageing in stainless steel. This delicious fruity red has distinctive notes of liquorice and combines weight and spice with a lovely freshness.

Marco De Bartoli is considered one of Sicily’s winemaking pioneers for his long-standing commitment to the native Sicilian white grape varieties, Grillo and Zibibbo. He produces them on two separate estates: the first in Marsala, in Sicily’s south-west corner, the other on the small island of Pantelleria, south-east of Sicily. His belief in the value of traditional methods of production of these grapes and their wines is complemented by his equally strong belief in the future of Sicily as one of Europe’s most vital viticultural areas. Grillo, which historically forms the basis of Marsala’s classic wines, has been grown on the island since Phoenician times. From his Samperi winery, in the Contrada Samperi just west of Marsala, Marco De Bartoli produces several wines from this grape. “Vecchio Samperi” was first made in 1980. Named for the territory that houses De Bartoli’s country estate, it is a prestigious “Vergine” wine made using the traditional solera method, in which small quantities of young wine are added to wines of older vintages as they pass through a sequence of wooden barrels. The complex, harmonious result celebrates the fruit of many harvests.

In 1982 De Bartoli created “Vigna La Miccia”, classified as an “Oro” or gold Marsala, which is a sweeter, fresher dessert wine produced using a cold vinification process; it reveals an intense bouquet of Grillo and Inzolia grapes. Another facet of Marco De Bartoli’s work with Grillo led in 1983 to the “Marsala Superiore”, which is aged in oak barrels and fortified, as tradition would have it, with the “mistella” alcohol derived from must of Inzolia and acqua vite. In 1992 Marco De Bartoli added “Grappoli del Grillo” to his collection: here Grillo is vinified as a dry white table wine, with its unmistakable character of Mediterranean spice. The only red wine produced at Samperi is “Rosso di Marco”, which came out for the first time in 1998 and is a Merlot based wine.
 
Pietra Nera is an aromatic dry wine made from 100% Zibibbo (better known as Muscat of Alexandria); it is delicate, attractive and alluring and would make good company with fish soup, sarde a beccafico, grilled bream or cous-cous. Grappoli del Grillo is golden, complex with well-defined aromas and distinct personality. As Maureen Ashley writes: “There is no doubt that Grillo is an ace grape. It ripens well under the burning sun; it doesn’t over-yield; it gets packed with sugar; it oxidises easily (a benefit for Marsala); and it has incomparable flavours”. Golden in colour, transparent but bright. Attractive and forward aromas, citric lemon-lime with a gentle whiff of wildflowers, are accented with grace notes of honey and almond. Full-bodied and ripe, flavours are consistent with the nose, crisp and pleasantly acidic. A touch of subtle minerality joins snappy citrus and delicate almond in a long finish. Try with tuna in a classic stemperata sauce (celery, garlic, green olives, capers and raisins).

Like so many of our producers de Bartoli are trying to rediscover the natural flavour of wine using native yeast, extended skin contact and minimal sulphur during the vinification. Out of this ambition was born the Integrale range of white wines. One’s initial impression is of the uncompromising purity of the wine in the mouth – no corners have been cut, no corners of the palate will remain unchallenged by the wine. As Eric might say: “The Integrale wines will knock you on your ass” (technical winespeak – I will explain later).

Made from sun-dried Moscato Bukkuram is a wine of orange blossom, apricot and honey. Legend has it that Apollo himself was successfully wooed by the goddess of love, Tanit, when she substituted Moscato from the volcanic island of Pantelleria for his daily ambrosia.

Vecchio Samperi, an example of the rare Vergine/Soleras style mentioned above, is aged using the fractional blending method known as solera, made famous in Jerez. Using a battery of progressively smaller casks, De Bartoli continually “tops up” his oldest wines with wines from the next-oldest vintage, with the newest wines going in the largest cask at the end of the battery. Vecchio Samperi is more than 40 years old, with the smoky, nutty complexity of a fine sherry. But Vecchio Samperi is unfortified, just as all Marsala was before the British came along towards the end of the 18th century and added spirit to it. The wine (from Grillo again) is dry, intense and mellow with flavours of chestnuts, brazil nuts and orange peel. Try it with aged pecorino cheeses, or maybe slightly chilled alongside some shellfish or other seafood as an aperitif. It is a rare treasure in the world of wine and is described by Marco as a “Vino Liquoroso secco”.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! Frank Cornelissen’s wines can only be sold to people who have a profound understanding of natural wine. They are intensely volatile, living affairs – nothing is taken out.

Frank Cornelissen has always had a passion for wine since he tasted DRC! One day, whilst travelling in Sicily, he tasted a red wine from the Etna, loved it, and decided to buy an old ungrafted vineyard in 2001, which led to the creation of Magma.  Cornelissen’s estate consists of 5.5 hectares on the north slopes of Mount Etna. Of this, 2.5 hectares are ungrafted vines grown in the classic free-standing alberello system. The rest is given over to olive trees, fruit trees and bush. He eschews monocultural practices in order to avoid the classic vine diseases and promotes biodiversity. His latest vineyard was newly replanted with original branches of the pre-phylloxera vines, thus without the grafted genetically engineered rootstock.

The top wine is Magma, (you can’t afford it) is made from old Nerello Mascalese vines (50–80 years), from the highest parts of the vineyard. “The wine is produced in a non-interventionist way, fermented and aged according to ancient traditions in terracotta vases of approximately 400 litres each, buried in the ground in the cellar and fixed with ground volcanic rock The intention is to avoid all treatments whatsoever in vineyard, orchard and surroundings.”

*Aiming for zero treatments, looking for healthy grapes, but not super-ripeness
*Zero sulphur throughout vinification
*Long natural undisturbed fermentation, the skins are kept on the wine until April of the following year
*Amphorae allow the wine to breathe a little, but don’t give the tannins of wood, nor do they alter the wines colour. Frank likes this because he doesn’t want to add anything to the vine. The evaporation rate from a 400 litre amphora is about the same as from a 2000 or 3000 litre vat; a 250 litre amphora resembles a 1500 litre vat and a 100 litre amphora is close to a barrique.

Magma has it roots, in every sense of the word, in the thin acidic soil of the terrain. It is both highly cerebral and utterly natural, the realisation of a passionate endeavour to “make” a wine which is entirely unmediated and unmasked. It is a nice argument to ponder whether a wine can be so natural that it is effectively unnatural and every person would have to assess whether they desire the expression of absolute truth or the function of absolute drinkability. By recognising its fragility and serving the wine sympathetically one’s palate can align itself to Magma’s individual foibles and quirks.

Rosso del Contadino, a very drinkable red, is made entirely without SO2, partly with stems and partly destemmed, crushed partly with the feet, a field blend of white and red varieties (Carricante, Inzolia, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Alicante, Nerello Cappuccio...) The fermentation is done in containers of 700–1000 litres, in contact with the integral mass for as long as the alcoholic fermentation (approx. 40 days). Then the wine is pressed before being transferred into terracotta amphorae for approx. 10 months. The Rosso del Contadino is bottled after the “noble lees” are stirred and thus is completely cloudy. The lees are the nutrition of the wine and since this is not a high precision, terroir wine, it needs a bit more of a help to evolve in the bottle. The wine is unfiltered, unfined and bottled without SO2. As a result it is quite volatile, but also fresh, carrying the alcohol surprisingly well.

Munjebel Rosso is 100% Nerello Mascalese from various vineyards in different communes with different geology and exposure (Barbabecchi, Muganazze, Marchesa, Piano dei Daini, Donna Bianca ...) The grape bunches are destemmed, pressed with the feet in a wooden container before going into the terracotta containers for fermentation. After alcoholic fermentation, the terracotta containers are sealed with the integral grape mass inside until after malolactic fermentation. Hereafter the mass is pressed and the wine goes back into the terracotta containers for approx. 15 months before bottling. Faded red colour with browning edges. The nose shows lovely sweet, grapey fruit with a complex herby, tobaccoey edge. The palate is savoury with earthy definition; it’s full and shows a slightly animal-chocolatey edge.

The Munjebel Bianco is a blend of southern grape varieties including Carricante, Grecanico Dorato and Coda di Volpe. This amber-gold wine is vinified like the reds, in full and long skin-contact to extract its territorial identity. If you hold the bottle up to the light it looks like a lava lamp – very appropriate.

Frank’s wines have variously been described as mentalist, stinky, funksome, the list is endless. He has the courage of his convictions (surely a ten year stretch in wine clink for refusing to compromise). Thulphuring? Thuck on that!!!  As Sylvester the wine moggy would lisp.

Azienda Benanti has long tried to reflect the remarkable microclimatic diversity of the various Etna mountain slopes. The estate vineyards are located on the northern, eastern and southern slopes of the volcano in the Etna region, and the crus of white and red wines come from there. The particular style of the wines derive from the proximity of the sea and special volcanic sandy soils; furthermore, the vine growing region stretches on a conic-frustum-shaped surface with its climatic influence due to altitude and exposure.

Bianco di Casele comes from vineyards on the eastern side of Etna, in the commune of Milo and countryside of Cavaliere, on the southern side of Etna, commune of Santa Maria di Licodia. The 35-50 year old vines are grown at 1000m altitude on sandy, volcanic, mineral-rich, acid soil. The grape here is Carricante, grown as alberello (free standing bush). This indigenous vine is cultivated only on Etna. Its name seems to be attributed by the vine-growers of Viagrande because of its characteristics of allowing a good, constant production over the years. At full ripeness the bunches are of average length, usually scattered; the grape is medium-sized with a green-yellowish colour. The pulp is juicy and the taste is simple and sweet. Grapes are harvested in the third week of October and softly pressed. Fermentation occurs in steel vats at a temperature of 18-20°C. The wine is left to mature for a certain period of time in tanks before bottling.

Bianco Pietramarina is a superb cru Carricante made from lower yields with densely planted 80 year old vines.The colour of the wine is pale yellowish with greenish tints, the scent: intense, rich and fruity suggestive of orange and lemon flowers, and ripe apple. It is dry, with pleasant acidity, great aromatic persistence and an aftertaste of anise and almond.

Rosso di Verzella comes from the eponymous Verzella on the northern side of Etna in the commune of Castiglione di Sicilia and is made largely from forty year old alberello Nerello Mascalese (also known as Negrello). This is the main indigenous vine of the Etna region. It has large compact bunches, with medium-sized grapes and light blue skins and a typically sweet, pruney and tannic. There is also some Nerello Cappuccio (20%), otherwise known as Mantellato (mantled) grown as alberello. It has medium-small sized compact bunches, medium-sized grapes and blue-black skins and its flavour is generally sweet and slightly tannic. After malolactic fermentation, the wine matures in small casks (225 litres) for about 8-10 months. With its ruby-red colour and delicate scent of red fruits and balsam this is an elegant, harmonious, remarkably persistent red wine. Rosso Rovittello, also a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, is from densely-planted 80 year old, densely planted and relatively low yielding vines. The grapes undergo a long maceration to extract extra flavour. Ruby red with tints of garnet it has hints of vanilla, chestnut flowers and noble wood and, although rich, exhibits a great elegance. Civet of venison is a-calling.

Sicily’s most elegant wines come from the small Palari estate located in the hills around Messina.

On the hills overlooking the Straights of Messina, the great DOC wine, “Il Faro” has been produced since the beginning of antiquity as they love to say. Archaeological discoveries prove that winemaking in the Messina area was flourishing as far back as the 14th century B.C. This led to a prosperous economy that continued to thrive for centuries.

Unfortunately these good times couldn’t roll forever. At the beginning of last century, the vines were nearly devastated by the phylloxera and production fell off dramatically during the following years. Wine production continued its gradual decline and reached its lowest point in history in 1985 with the DOC wine-bearing area at serious risk of extinction.

In the splendid Villa Geraci seat of the new Palari Winery, proprietor Salvatore Geraci has devoted himself to the production of his ancient and noble wine with the objective of reviving (assisted by the help of modern technology) that quality that has made “Il Faro” famous throughout the world. The vineyard lies in the “Palari” wine district of S. Stefano, Messina, and is planted with native grapevines of names as old as the fascination they evoke: Nerello, Nocera, Cappuccino, Tignolino, Cor’e Palumba, Acitana, Galatena and others.... All of which are embraced by the regulations for the production of the Faro DOC.

The terrain is blessed with a unique microclimate – due to its dramatic rise of altitude of 420 metres above sea level within just five kilometres. It is set up with “alberello” head-pruned trellis and has a medium slope of 78 degrees requiring the grapes to be gathered and placed into 20 kg baskets by hand. Because of this labour-intensive requirement and the rigid selection which the grapes must undergo, the total yield of grapes for each plant is only 1 kg. The soft-pressing of the grapes, the temperature-controlled fermentation, the aging in French oak barrels, and the refinement in air-conditioned rooms – all carefully monitored under the watchful eye of the winemaker Donato Lanati – make possible the creation of this important wine of such noble and old tradition.

The winemaking philosophy under Salvatore Geraci is simple: make two wines with the same indigenous grapes but with different selections. His Rosso del Soprano, a blend based on a wine known in antiquity as Mamertino, comes from the native nerello mascalese, nerello cappuccio, and nocera grapes.

The primary wine to be featured from Palari is Faro. Here the wine includes a finer selection of the same grapes to make this a Tre Bicchieri winner. Faro (which means lighthouse) is a little DOC, almost the smallest in Italy. With just above 6 hectares (15 acres) in the DOC area, the production is clearly tiny. Sicily’s increasing focus on modern production techniques and international varieties has had some great success, as at the Planeta estate; but Palari provides a refreshing respite from this trend with their great indigenous wines. Faro has a ruby colour with a hint of purple. The nose is beautifully knit, black cherry to the fore and lightly smoky nuances shimmering in the background. It is remarkably elegant with a complete lack of over-ripeness that characterises many southern Italian reds.

The Rosso del Soprano, a blend of the two Nerellos as mentioned and aged in used oak barrels, tastes like the offspring of a meaty Pinot Noir and sun-drenched Grenache. On the nose a mix of berry smells (squashed strawberries) and a touch of earthiness tending towards mushroom, on the palate gentle warmth unfolding to reveal subtle hints of spice, pepper and liquorice. As with the Faro there is a lightness of touch – these fruits may have roasted under a Mediterranean sun, but they are seasoned by the earth and stones.

The south-eastern province of Ragusa, around the town of Vittoria, is home to the revived Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a red wine made from 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato and the estate of COS. The Italian government has just granted it DOCG status (the strictest appellation in Italy), which makes Cerasuolo di Vittoria the first Sicilian wine to enjoy this prestigious designation. (Bottlings from the 2005 harvest reflect the new status.) Yet little more than 20 years ago, the wine was in steep decline, one of the many southern victims of Italy’s controversial law prohibiting the addition of sugar to wine to increase alcohol content, still enforced today. “Cerasuolo was hardly produced, because buyers did not want the wine in and of itself, but only the must from over-mature nero d’Avola to add strength to their wines, the price of which was based on sugar content,” explains leading producer Giusto Occhipinti, who started the COS winery with two classmates back in the early 1980s.

On a shoestring budget, the three friends vinified the grapes from their parents’ vineyards. They even bought Angelo Gaja’s used French barrels back in 1983 to age the wine. By the late 1980s, they started buying new barriques and felt the influence of California’s Napa Valley. Other winemakers in the area were impressed with the results and also began making Cerasuolo di Vittoria, using the two local varieties instead of selling the grape juice from overripe Nero d’Avola. “Then we took a huge step back,” Occhipinti recalls. “We tried some of our earliest bottlings, those matured in used barriques, and we were shocked at the difference. With its mineral notes and earthy sensations, the wine was so much more interesting than the later vintages matured in new oak with sensations of vanilla and toast. Just as everyone else in the mid-1990s invested in new French barriques, we began recycling ours. Today we use a combination of different-sized barrels, from barriques to large casks, all of varying ages.” He also notes that COS does not use selected yeasts and has never used chemicals in the vineyards. “Our goal isn’t to make wines that impress wine critics, but to make wine that expresses our great terroir. Here, Nero d’Avola is more elegant than in other regions, and has these great mineral notes from the soil. This is what gives the Cerasuolo di Vittoria its rich fruit, while the Frappato gives the wine its floral components and freshness,” Occhipinti says.

Since that quote barrels have been phased out and replaced by cement vats. Each year more amphorae are introduced and Pithos is the result, a gentle, harmonious, expression of Cerasuolo. A white version of Pithos is currently being bottled.

The Rami is a blend of Inzolia 50% and Grecanico 50%. Fermented in stainless steel it retains a certain leafy pungency on the nose, but is fairly restrained, with notes of almond and straw, and some of that citrus quality. On the palate it is brisk and decisive, with a concentrated fruit quality that has a real tell-tale Italian bitter almond, or even Campari-like edge, to cool pear and lemon fruit. Where are the clams? Send in the clams.

The Cerasuolo shows a brilliant ruby red colour and nuances of ruby red. The nose denotes intense, clean, pleasing and refined aromas which start with hints of black cherry, blackberry and plum followed by aromas of raspberry, blueberry, carob, violet, tobacco and vanilla. The mouth has good correspondence to the nose, a slightly tannic attack and pleasing crispness, however balanced by alcohol, good body and intense flavours. The finish is persistent with flavours of black cherry, plum and blackberry. The Nero d’Avola grape used for the production of this Cerasuolo di Vittoria ages in cement, whereas Frappato ages in steel tanks. This elegant wine has the finesse of a Burgundy.

The Nero di Lupo is unfiltered 100% Nero d’Avola. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for a further 24 months in vat it has remarkable finesse with rich earthy-leathery fruit flavours balanced by flinty notes.

Pithos is a Cerasuolo fermented in Giare which are terracotta amphorae (250l and 400l). The identity of the Frappato is marked on the nose with exuberant expression of violets and raspberry blossom. The mouth is floral, warm and supple, the berry fruit flavours complemented by soft tannins. 

Syri is undoubtedly an amazing Nero d’Avola. Harvested from 35-40 year old densely-planted vines on tufa-rich soil, kept in oak barrels from twenty four months and in the bottle for at least another six it displays the wonderful balance between a full-bodied, spicy wine that is also fruity at the same time.

This is also a highly nuanced wine suggestive of pomegranate, clove and even pink peppercorns. In a fanciful way the wine seems to encapsulate the history of Sicily in a way, bringing together the spices and fruits introduced during Arab and Norman invasions and combining it with the local climate… Like all terroir wines it transports the spirit to a sense of place.