Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG

Planeta’s journey began at Sambuca di Sicilia, on the estate owned by the family since the 1600s. Here, three enthusiastic young Sicilians, Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta, under the guidance of Diego Planeta, began their winemaking venture in the mid-1980s. Subsequent years were spent matching the extraordinarily diverse Sicilian soils with both indigenous and international varieties. Planeta today encompasses six distinct wine estates in five regions across Sicily; Ulmo at Sambuca di Sicilia, Dispensa at Menfi, Dorilli at Vittoria, Buonivini at Noto, Sciara Nuova on Etna at Castiglione di Sicilia, and the newest addition, La Baronia at Capo Milazzo. Each vineyard site is carefully cultivated with grapes that best compliment the local terroir.

Vittoria is one of those places redolent of history and the long agricultural tradition of our family; even our ancestors disagreed about whether it would be better to cultivate vines here or at Menfi. Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Dorilli is produced from careful selection of the vines surrounding the 34 hectare Dorilli estate, named for the nearby river Dirillo. Here, between the plateau and the sea, where the summer temperatures are very high and the rainfall very low, the vines are interwoven with the ecosystem of the Mediterranean macchia. The principal characteristic of the terroir is its red sand; the name of Cerasuolo derives from it, evoking the ‘cerasa,’ cherry in Sicilian. Consisting chiefly of loose red sands with no stones and moderately deep; a tufa layer lies at about 90 cm, important for the vines’ water balance. These areas of fine, light red sand, leave their unmistakable mark on the aromatic profile of Cerasuolo.

The grapes are gathered by hand and machine. After pressing and destemming, sent to stainless steel vats. Fermentation lasts for 7–8 days. Once finished, the skins will have remained in contact with the wine for 13–15 days, then racked off. The malolactic fermentation occurs in the same vats.

Aromas of ripe black cherry with cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon. The tannin – mature, soft, rounded – dissolves in the mouth thanks to the incredible sweetness of the fruit. The oriental spices combine with the complex flavours of smoked pancetta, cooked must, marjoram and prickly pear. Extraordinary with well-peppered roast pork chops. Its savoury complexity pairs well with braised, oily fish cooked in liquid, and can also match well with spicy Asian-style fish.