Frappato - Mandrarosso - Sicily

PRODUCER

First produced in 1999, the Mandrarossa wines come from a

selection of the best sites from Cantine Settesoli’s 6,000 hectares of

vineyard, situated in southwestern Sicily and planted with 32

different grape varieties. This range was conceived after the

diverse soils of the vineyards were mapped, enabling the

winemakers to focus on what were then ranked their best sites.

Under the leadership of co-operative president Giuseppe Bursi,

consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini has sought to improve

viticulture, which in turn has resulted in better wines. Working with

soil specialist Pedro Parra and head winemaker Mimmo De

Gregorio, Alberto has selected 500 hectares of vineyard for the

production of the Mandrarossa wines. These vineyards are situated

close to the sea, where intense sunlight, moderating sea breezes,

mild temperatures, multiple elevations and a myriad of different

soil types combine to give the sort of grapes that Mimmo and

Alberto are looking for.

VINEYARDS

The vineyards for this wine are located near Menfi on the south-

western coast of Sicily, at an altitude of 250 metres above sea

level. They are south and west facing and planted on sandy soils.

Vines are Guyot trained, with a density of 4,300-5,000 plants per

hectare.

VINTAGE

Autumn was characterised by rainfall, with temperatures

remaining at the seasonal average until the beginning of

February, when a cold spell arrived. Spring was fairly cool, with

budburst occurring 10 days later than expected and growth

slightly slower than usual, but regular nonetheless. Conditions

throughout the summer were average, allowing for a uniform

ripening. 10 days of intense heat in early August caused some

stress to the vines, but temperatures soon returned to standard

levels, allowing them to recover by harvest. Consequently, yields

were down on recent years, but still of exceptional quality.

VINIFICATION

The harvest of refined grapes were performed using a mechanical

night harvest, over a period of 40 days. This guaranteed the

preservation of the quality of the grapes at an excellent level.

Maceration and fermentation took place over the course of four

to six days at 22-25°C. The wine was matured in steel vats for

around four months before bottling.

TASTING NOTES

This wine is intense ruby red in colour with purple hues. On the

nose, it has aromas of morello and marasca cherries, notes of

small red berries and sweet spices. The palate is mineral and

balanced with a long finish.