Frappato Vittoria DOC

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.

Frappatto is a rare and exclusive grape variety cultivated on only a few hectares, it is best expressed in the red sands of Vittoria, not far from the sea. An aromatic and pleasant red wine as few others, a perfect synthesis between tradition and innovation. The vineyards of Dorilli and Mogli, wholly cultivated with Nero d’Avola and Frappato, extend for 34 hectares over these areas of fine, light red sand, which leave their unmistakable mark on the aromatic profile of Cerasuolo. The principal characteristic of the soils of the Vittoria area is their sandy texture. They mainly consist of loose red sand with no stones and of average depth. A layer of tufa lies at about 90cm which is important for the water balance of the vines.

Harvesting took place from September 20th–22nd. Grapes were gathered by hand; destalked and pressed, then sent to stainless steel tanks. The grapes were stirred three times a day with very short pumping over (10-20 minutes) and to protect the skins and the fruit. Fermentation lasted 7-8 days. Once the fermentation finished, the skins remained in contact with the wine for 10-13 days and are then racked off.

Notes of rose and candied violet are typical, with a elegant smokey tone. On the palate, much red fruit with balsamic tones. The extraordinary versatility of this Sicilian Claret shows itself in the classics of everyday, such as with pasta dishes like rigatoni all’amatriciana, spaghetti alla Bolognese and lasagne. Its adaptable nature extends to contemporary food; it is ideal with cheeseburgers. Hypnotic with fresh soft cheese, and in dressing up with a mushroom and onion soup.