Remaking Sicily
Improving wines made from native grapes by a new cadre of winemakers are changing the face
of this value-oriented region
Author: Jo Cooke
Issue: October 31, 2009
Publication: Wine Spectator Magazine
For many years, bargain hunters have found a ready supply of cheap and cheerful red and white wines from
Sicily, Italy's arid, rocky island off the toe of the peninsula. The downside was the imbalances or defects that
all too often came with low price tags: high alcohol, rustic mineral character and cooked or overly jammy
fruit.
But the past decade has seen an increasing number of Sicilian producers-some native to the island, some
from the Italian mainland-who have introduced better winemaking techniques and turned greater attention
to vineyard management and yields. Their efforts are changing the face of Sicily as a wine region.
Our annual tastings of Sicilian wines have tracked the improvements in quality over this period, but our
recent tasting of nearly 230 wines, conducted blind in our European bureau in Tuscany, revealed more
consistent quality in red and white wines than ever before, suggesting that Sicilian vintners are on the right
track.
Most of Sicily's major wine appellations are dotted around the island's beautiful coastline, where vineyards
hug the slopes that lead down to the sea. The coast is where most of the local life goes on in Sicily and is
also the favored destination for the thousands of tourists that flock to the island each summer. By
comparison, the interior of the island is generally less hospitable, with large tracts of wild, open space that
the relentless summer heat and drought conditions can transform into near desert.
The indigenous white varieties, such as Grillo, Catarratto and Insolia, are perfect summer wines; their clean
apple or citrus flavors, colored by delicate floral and mineral notes, make them ideal matches for fresh fish
or shellfish dishes, such as grilled swordfish, a local favorite. Sicily's reds also suit its cuisine; add a tomato
sauce to a dish of sardines and you have the perfect foil for a young Nero d'Avola. There is plenty of meat
and game in Sicily, too, to match sturdier versions of Nero d'Avola and the locally grown Syrahs, Merlots and
Cabernets.
Indigenous Reds
Perhpas the best examples of Sicily's improved quality level are the wines made from Nero d'Avola, one of
the most widely planted red varieties on the island. In times past, this native grape produced rugged and
rustic wines that were popular with the locals, but less so with consumers outside the region. Today's
greatly improved Neros have a much wider appeal, in terms of both quality and value.
For example, the Baglio del Sole Nero d'Avola Sicilia 2007 (88 points on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale,
$12) is one of the best-value Sicilian reds around. Baglio del Sole is the entry-level brand of the 111-acre
Feudi del Pisciotto estate, founded in 2002 by Italian magazine publisher Paolo Panerai, who also owns the
estates of Castellare di Castellina and Rocca di Frassinello in Tuscany. Half the newly planted vineyards of
the Feudi del Pisciotto estate contain Nero d'Avola vines.
"Nero d'Avola has great potential, but it needs careful handling," says Alessandro Cellai, managing director
and winemaker of all three estates. "You have to cut back on yields throughout the season, even when you
have planted less-vigorous clones. Then, we use cryo-maceration for 12 hours before fermentation to soften
the tannins."
Other good value Neros include the Cusumano Nero d'Avola-Syrah Sicilia Benuara 2008 (87, $17), offering
loads of focused fruit for the money, and the MandraRossa Nero d'Avola Sicilia 2008 (86, $10), from the
excellent Settesoli cooperative winery based in Menfi.
Nero d'Avola can also produce structured and complex reds. The Feudo Maccari Nero d'Avola Sicilia Saia
2007 (90, $35) is from Antonio Moretti's exciting new estate near Noto, in the southeast corner of the island.
Longtime leader Planeta offers a fine Nero d'Avola in its Sicilia Santa Cecilia 2006 (90, $39), while
Morgante's Nero d'Avola Sicilia Don Antonio 2006 (90, $40) is an engaging red that will benefit from a few
years in the cellar.
Some of Sicily's most exciting wines today come from vineyards planted on the slopes of the active volcano
Mount Etna. This is largely due to a recent wave of new winemakers. One standout is Florentine wine
exporter Marco de Grazia, who founded Tenuta delle Terre Nere with his brother Iano in 2004. (The brothers
also established the tiny satellite estate of Le Vigne di Eli in 2007.)
Newcomers to Etna, such as de Grazia, were attracted to the area's particular terroir. The soils of volcanic
ash, sand and rock seem to be ideal for local red grapes such as Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio
and local white grapes such as Carricante.
"I call Etna the Mediterranean Burgundy," says de Grazia. "Like in Burgundy, the character of the soil
changes every 100 meters." His estate's 52 acres are divided into eight different vineyard sites.
In the 2007 vintage, de Grazia bottled five single-vineyard reds from native Nerello Mascalese and Nerello
Cappuccio grapes. Leading the way is the tiny production Etna Prephylloxera La Vigna di Don Peppino (93,
$80), a classy, full-bodied blend from 3.7 acres of pre-phylloxera vines. (De Grazia estimates the vines were
planted between 130 and 140 years ago.) The Terre Nere Santo Spirito (89), Feudo di Mezzo Il Quadro delle
Rose (90), Guardiola (88) and Calderara Sottana (90) bottlings, each priced at $40, are all elegant wines
showing distinctive fruit and mineral character.
"We think our wines have the same elegant texture as great Pinot Noirs or Piedmont Nebbiolos," he says.
This character may be due to the altitude of de Grazia's vineyards, which range from 650 to 900 meters
above sea level, together with the influence of the rocky, volcanic soil. "We are starting to understand the
terroir here," de Grazia adds. "But there is still much to learn."
Native Whites
Equally rare is the top white from de Grazia's estate, the pure Carricante Etna Cuvée delle Vigne Niche 2007
(91, $30), a full-bodied and elegant white packed with spicy dried fruit. Carricante, along with other native
white grapes, such as Grillo, Insolia, Catarratto and Grecanico, is typically found in simpler, more affordable
bottlings that offer clean fruit and mineral character.
Some of the best-bargain whites come from the historic Duca di Salaparuta estate, producer of the Corvo
line. For years, both brands had a reputation for inexpensive but less-than-compelling whites. Yet the quality
level of both labels has much improved of late.
Try the full and fruity Duca di Salaparuta Grillo Sicilia Risignolo Kados 2008 (89, $15), sourced from estateowned vineyards, or one of the producer's other white bottlings, such as the Grillo Sicilia Corvo Terrae Dei
2008 (88, $12) and the Corvo Bianco 2008 (85, $9), an Insolia and Grecanico blend. All Corvo wines come
from grapes bought from suppliers, mainly in the Agrigento region.
"The past decade has seen heavy investment in all aspects of winemaking," says Carlo Casavecchia, Duca di
Salaparuta's chief enologist, who recently left the group but was responsible for the wines in this report.
"Management of the around 240 acres of estate-owned vineyards is much improved, as is the selection of
grapes bought in. But there's no magic wand in winemaking. You have to wait to see the results and these
are coming through with the whites now, and hopefully with the reds in the near future."
Other good value Sicilian whites to look for include the Cusumano Insolia Sicilia Cubìa 2008 (88, $13), the
Baglio del Sole Inzolia-Catarratto Sicilia 2008 (87, $12) and the Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna 2008 (90, $17),
a blend of multiple white grapes.
International Varieties
Though local grape varieties are the main focus for most of Sicily's producers, there are also excellent
examples of reds from international varieties. Both Syrah and Merlot have an increasing foothold on the
island, and the best wines from these varieties combine clean fruit with good structure and a distinctive
freshness.
For example, the Planeta Syrah Sicilia 2006 (90, $39) shows typical Syrah fruit character on a full yet subtle
palate. Other clean, well-defined reds with attractive price tags include the Baglio di Pianetto Syrah-Merlot
Sicilia Shymer 2006 (88, $22) and the great value Feudo Arancio Syrah Sicilia Stemmari 2007 (88, $10).
In the current economic climate, wine drinkers are looking for bargains, but are naturally reluctant to drop
down too many rungs on the quality ladder. For these consumers, and wine lovers in general, Sicily's reds
and whites today have much to offer.
Tasting coordinator Jo Cooke, based in Tuscany, has been with Wine Spectator since 2001