Winemaker Notes
Bordeaux made in Sicily from a selection of the best grapes from the company’s
vineyards. A powerful red, built on a dense and important tannin structure, balanced by a decided alcoholic content. Strongly flavored centering on very rich and packed ripe fruit. The flavors are those of myrtle and preserved cherries mixed with leather while intense aromas of cherry, cocoa, iodine and rosemary gradually emerge.
A forceful wine, bold and spirited to be enjoyed alone or to be paired with dishes of similar force of character such as casseroles or game. For a vegetarian alternative try grilled radicchio with mature cheese or roast, almost caramelized, onions.
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With ample intensity and definition, this wine shows the power of two Bordeaux grapes, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc, with the softness and sunny sweetness you might expect of a warm wine territory such as Sicily. The Planeta 2016 Sicilia Menfi Burdese shows a dark garnet appearance and medium rich concentration. Dried spice, scorched earth and black fruit appear on the bouquet. There is a dry, almost dusty quality to the tannins that are present but without any noticeable astringency. This release of 30,000 bottles would match up nicely with a classic Sicilian skillet of fennel sausage, orange slices and bread.
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Wine Spectator
This has a lovely interplay between the core of ripe red and black currant fruit and a savory streak of tar, smoke and dried dill. Features fine-grained tannins that are creamy and well-knit, with pretty floral and licorice accents lingering on the dark, juicy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
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Wine Enthusiast
Vanilla, toasted coconut and old leather mingle with blueberries and blackberries on the nose before a palate that offers more berries and leather and chocolate, held together with relaxed tannins and a quiet but palpable heat.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.