Mandrarossa Exceptional Expressions of Terroir from Sicily
What happens when you take quality-obsessed grape growers (with generations of experience farming their land) and add a trio of winemaking and viticultural icons, armed with the latest in soil mapping technology?
One of the most exciting fine wine projects to ever emerge from Sicily.
Mandrarossa is a premium range of estate-bottled wines showcasing southwest Sicily’s highest-quality expressions. And of the 2,000 grape-growing families who make up the Cantine Settesoli cooperative, less than 10% are selected to contribute their grapes.
While the project officially began in 1999, it wasn’t until 2014 — when winemaker Domenico De Gregorio, terroir expert Pedro Parra, and famed oenologist/winemaking consultant Alberto Antonini came together — that Mandrarossa began to take shape. Tasked with the shared mission of identifying and partnering with the top properties comprising Cantine Settesoli, the trio have created a collection of wines that represent the purest and finest expression of each indigenous and international variety.
In June 2021, the new Mandrarossa winery opened its doors, offering a true sense of place and an authentic Sicilian experience through its hospitality center — wine tours, food and wine tastings, and traditional Sicilian artisanal cuisine prepared by Menfi locals are all on offer. Constructed on several levels, the winery houses a new barrel cellar, two tasting rooms, a wine shop, and a stunning terrace overlooking the wild, rugged land that tumbles down to Menfi’s pristine seacoast.
Mandrarossa Highlights
Mandrarossa is an exciting fine wine project that highlights some of Sicily’s most extraordinary terroirs.
The best of the best, Mandrarossa’s grapes are cherry picked from fewer than 200 family-farmed vineyards, identified by advanced soil mapping technology as having particularly ideal conditions for specific varieties.
The entire enterprise is overseen by veteran winemaker Domenico De Gregorio, “terroir whisperer” Pedro Parra, and world-renowned Italian consultant, Alberto Antonini.
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Founded
1999 -
Location
Menfi, Sicily, Italy
Terroir
The vineyards behind Mandrarossa’s wines all grow on the southwestern coast of Sicily in the province of Agrigento in historic Menfi. This territory is blessed with rolling hills overlooking the sea, which create a variety of elevations, slopes, and soil types ideal for viticulture. Along with ideal microclimatic conditions — intense sunlight, sea breezes, mild temperatures, elevations, different exposures — the sheer variety of soils is one of Mandrarossa’s distinguishing elements.
Led by Pedro Parra, the team performed a deep dive into every vineyard, analyzing every root and layer of soil. The fruits of their labor: the precise identification and classification of the best vineyard plots, grape clones, and (consequently) partner growers. In addition, this exercise gave the team valuable insight to the best variety/terroir combinations. Then, the team created digital maps, using geo-referenced measurements of the soils’ electromagnetic conductivity, helping the winemaking team segment the growing regions into macro- and microterroirs.
Viticulture
Within the microterroirs, the soils undergo deep plowing after the harvest (60 centimeters / 23.6 inches). The vineyard team avoid foliage and bunch stacking and the soils are mulched between autumn and spring with local legumes and clover leaves, in order to fertilize the soil organically. Irrigation is performed only where exceptionally needed, herbicides and pesticides are prohibited, and harvest is only allowed during specific periods as indicated by the technical team.
Within the macroterroirs, the team improve soil aeration, structure, and fertility by using cover crops and in-field shoot chopping. Vines are pruned using traditional methods and weed control is done through sustainable and mechanical methods.
Vine vigor is controlled through eliminating suckers and double shoots. Some green pruning is performed and there is very little irrigation.
An Expert Team
Domenico De Gregorio is Mandrarossa’s head winemaker, who oversees the day-to-day winery operations. He is the synergy between Alberto, Pedro, and the local grape-growing families, ensuring that superior Sicilian wine is created from every selected plot. He’s a graduate of Viticulture and Enology from the prestigious Abele Damiani Agricultural Institute in Marsala.
His international experience includes participating in comprehensive studies in Argentina, Chile, Australia, South Africa, and the United States.
Alberto Antonini is among Italy’s most influential wine consultants. Previously, he served as winemaker at Marchesi Antinori, technical director at Col d’Orcia, and assistant winemaker at Frescobaldi.
Considered the world’s pre-eminent terroir specialist, with extensive academic and field experience in the Old and New World, Pedro Parra is known as the “terroir whisperer,” who helps wineries identify the best vineyard sites based on soil composition to grow the finest expression of varieties.
