Winemaker Notes
Ruby red in color with light violet reflections. Notes of red plum, blueberry, and black pepper, intermingle with those of cocoa, tobacco and licorice. Fresh, soft and round on the palate with bold tannins that are typical of this variety, well polished.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose begins with sophisticated fruit notes of figs, plums and cherries, then turns intensely earthy and vegetal. That balance between fruit and earth, sweet and astringent continues on the palate, before a dark chocolate finish that is structured by firm, reliable tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There is a lot of buzz surrounding the Perricone grape. The Feudo Montoni 2021 Sicilia Perricone Core opens to a medium dark color with spice, fresh-cut cedarwood and untreated tobacco. There is a lot of dark primary fruit and some sour berry nuances, but the wine feels quite smooth in texture...
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Vinous
The 2021 Perricone Core seduces with a perfumed blend of lavender and violets accentuating crushed blackberries. Soft, round and soothing, this impresses further with its ripe wild berry fruits and inner florals, all guided by juicy acidity. Wild blueberries and a sweet herbal flourish define the finale, as the Perricone Core tapers off long and potent yet remarkably fresh. This is a total pleasure to taste.
Feudo Montoni has been producing top-quality wines on its historic grounds since 1469, and is currently overseen by Fabio Sireci, the third generation of a family dedicated to producing the most refined expressions of this long-cultivated terroir.
Today, the certified organic winery produces many of Italy’s most celebrated 100% indigenous varietals—Perricone, Nerello Mascalese, Catarratto, Grillo, Inzolia and Passito—in addition to the purest expression of Nero d’Avola.
Sireci is particularly proud of the organic farming methods, artisanal cellar practices and renewable energy sources he’s implemented and maintained, which he says preserves the grapes’ natural flavors and nuances. “We keep the vines rustic, so the foliage is free to express itself,” he says. “The vineyards are not fertilized—we condition the land by sowing broad beans and peas, and we do not use any chemical products.”
All operations in the vineyard are undertaken completely by hand, and the results speak for themselves: thanks to the Sireci family’s dedication and the vineyards’ high altitude, fluctuating temperatures, plentiful rainfall and neighboring olive and wheat plots, Feudo Montoni wines have staked their claim among the finest in the region.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
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.