Food Notes > Wine

Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon for the Sicilian style

A red, full and well structured wine. A Contessa Entellina Doc by Donnafugata indicated with grilled or roasted red meats, imposing roasts, kid and lamb

by Graziano Alderighi

The name of estate is a literary citation referring to the extraordinary novel “Il Gattopardo” (“The Leopard”) by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. In it, Donnafugata is identified with the country properties, situated in the heart of the Belice Valley, that were owned by the Prince of Salina and, in particular, the palace at Santa Margherita, the setting of some of the most memorable scenes in the famous novel.

Donnafugata grew out of the commitment of a family in Sicily that has always believed in the extraordinary enological potential of its land and has 150 years of experience in producing premium wines. Convinced that it is always necessary to be open to change in order to grow and improve, Giacomo Rallo and his wife, Gabriella, launched a new production project in 1983: Donnafugata. Their adventure took wing from the family’s historic cellars in Marsala and the vineyards at Contessa Entellina in the heart of western Sicily and soared as far as the island of Pantelleria. Their children, José and Antonio, joined them and the house accelerated its march along the path of Extreme Quality: a project that focused on attention to detail, which clears the way for entrepreneurial decisions that ever more advanced objectives. As for the future, the young Gabriella and Ferdinando are already being “fully immersed” in the family’s activities.

Tancredi
If you remember Alain Delon in the famous film that Luchino Visconti made from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's Il Gattopardo, you will see that this wine reflects the elegance and ambition of that "revolutionary." The label refers to the wineries at Contessa Entellina but they are placed on a cloud as in a mirage. "Viaggio a Donnafugata," composed by Nino Rota for Visconti.

The estate harvests Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d’Avola during the month of September. The grapes are vinified in stainless steel with skin contact of about 12 days at 26-30°C (79-86°F). After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged in new and second passage, French-oak barrels for 12-14 months and ages in bottle for at least 10 months.

Description: two varieties fuse in fine style. The Cabernet gives the Nero d'Avola a touch of mint, enriching its substantial supply of scents. Notes of licorice, cacao, cherries and bilberries against a sweetish background. The flavours are well-structured, full, absorbing and remarkably persistent.

Estate, produced and bottled by:
Donnafugata s.r.l.
Via S. Lipari 18 - 91025 Marsala
www.donnafugata.it

by Graziano Alderighi
07 September 2009 Teatro Naturale International n. 8 Year 1

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