Winemaker Notes
Bright red in appearance with floral red berries and aromatic herbs on the nose and in the mouth. It enters bright and juicy with a fresh, floral red berry finish that is nice and persistent. A lovely easygoing red.
100% Estate grown organic Frappato from Vittoria area. 15+ year old vines, hand harvested.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Perfumed and floral, the 2023 Frappato mixes geranium and violet tones with nuances of blood orange and blackberry. Lifted and graceful in style, it offers juicy acidity and crisp wild berry fruits that add lovely tart tension toward the close. The 2023 tapers off long and fresh with a perfumed, flowery resonance that lingers.
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose is earthy and umami, with aromas of damp soil, mushrooms and graphite, while undertones of flowers and plums provide a hint of sweetness. Juicy figs, plums and mixed berries flood the palate, dusted with a sophisticated pinch of salt and pepper and lifted by acid that positively shines above flexible tannins.
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.