Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A succulent, precise, bright and lively frappato. The nose shows notes of forest berries, sour cherries, forest floor, pebbles and mild spices. It’s light- to medium-bodied with silky tannins. Polished and vivid with bright acidity. It’s agile, with so much succulence at the center.
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Vinous
The 2022 Il Frappato is an understated beauty. Blackberries and currants swirl up from the glass, accentuated by hints of incense and rubbed sage. This splashes across the palate, soft-textured and pliant, with crisp red and black fruits that flow across a core of tactile minerals and savory spice. A bump of zesty acidity maintains amazing freshness even as a tart wild berry tinge pinches at the cheeks through the long and tension-filled finale. Rating: 92+
Frappato is one of Sicily’s exciting indigenous red varieties and, in combination with Nero d’Avola, is responsible for the acclaimed Cerasuolo di Vittoria wines—the only DOCG of Sicily. It makes a lively single varietal wine as well with charming strawberry, pomegranate, white pepper and violet qualities. Somm Secret— Frappato is a likely descendant of the Tuscan Ciliegiolo grape, which is named after the Italian word for cherry, ciliegia. Incidentally, the wine of Cerasuolo di Vittoria is also named for Sicilian dialect word for cherry, cerasa.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.