Powerful yet approachable!

Tasting Notes

Palate

 A fabulous white wine sourced from Sicily

Tasting Notes

Colour

Nose

Palate

Specifications

The Rooster, a symbol of pride, courage and honesty, watches over the vineyards. The ancient Greeks believed that the Rooster greeted the sun every morning with its cordial song, which symbolized the victory over the night but at the same time also serves as an alarm clock to mark the beginning of the day for both the animals and the winemakers! 

In Cortese, early morning is a key time to work in the vineyards thus avoiding the impetuousness of the Sicilian sun.

Tasting Notes

What is a wine with no added sulphites? 
Sulfur dioxide is naturally produced by wine during fermentation. In this case we do not add any further. This is possible because during the winemaking process we carry out all the operations meticulously so that it is not necessary to add sulphites.

Viticulture

The grapes are 100% Nero d’Avola from Azienda Agricola Cortese, our organic estate in Vittoria, south-eastern Sicily. The grapes are very carefully selected by hand in the middle of September, brought to the winery in small containers and processed immediately.

Vinification

The prime aim when producing a NSA wine is to keep everything in the winery meticulously clean in order to avoid any possible microbiological growth, except for yeast for the primary fermentation and bacteria for the malolactic fermentation. Fermentation is done in the usual way and we do the pumping over in the early stages of the process. After fermentation, we keen the wine in contact with the skins for 3-4 days, doing some pumping over in order to keep the cap wet. The wine is racked and then stored, with meticulous care not to allow any contact with oxygen.

Specifications

Leathery, resistant, attached to life: the Agave embodies the spirit of the territory that hosts it. Able to survive in all conditions, he never forgets to explode into the sky in a flowery tower.

An extremely versatile wine. Perfect with pasta, either with white meat or tomato-based sauces, but equally with roasted meats, tuna or swordfish cooked on the grill.

Tasting Notes

This lovely midweight red wine is made from Mount Etna's premium red grape.

Colour

Palate

In the mouth the Nerello Mascalese excels for its elegance thanks to silky tannins and contrasted by a marked minerality.

Vineyards

The name Nerello Mascalese derives from the small town of Mascali on the slopes of Etna, the area of ​​origin of the vine. It is a variety that in recent years has returned to production not only on Etna but also in other areas of Sicily with different expressions.

Our Nerello Mascalese grows at an altitude of about 400m above sea level, and is harvested entirely by hand in small boxes of 10-15 kg. After harvesting, the grapes are immediately separated from the stalk and vinified with an extremely soft pressing.

Vinification

The must is fermented on the skins with frequent remontage during the early stages of fermentation. Once fermentation is finished,we continue the skin contact for about 15 days with one very soft remontage a day. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally once separated from the skins. The wine is kept on its very fine lees for about 6-8 months before being bottled.

Awards

91 points - Luca Maroni - I MIGLIORI VINI ITALIANI (2019 Vintage)

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Colour

Aroma

The elegant bouquet is a combination of peach, apple, citrus fruits and blossom.

Palate

The palate has a big structure, with excellent acidity, minerality and sapidity and these characteristics give Carricante a particularly long finish.

Viticulture

Our Carricante is cultivated at about 400 metres above sea level. As it is so prolific, it is essential to focus a lot of attention on training the vines – which we do using the Guillotmethod. Strict pruning is also absolutely key in order to limit production. Grapes are hand-picked in the early part of September.

Vinification

The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand towards the beginning of September. A careful destemming is followed by soft pressing of the grapes. The decantation of the must at low temperature lasts about 48 hours before the start of the fermentation carried out at 17-19 ° C for about 20 days. After fermentation, the wine is decanted and kept on fine lees for about 5 months with frequent battonages.

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Production

The Nero d'Avola grapes are sourced from the area around Salemi (Province of Trapani) in the north-west tip of Sicily. The vines are Guyot-trained, and grown at around 250m altitude on a combination of soil types. The vineyards were converted to organic viticulture in 2007. The grapes are macerated on the skins for 8-12 days, then racked and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation.

Producer

Established in 2003, Adria Vini is a winemaking venture jointly owned by Boutinot and Araldica Castelvero, the leading co-operative in the Monferrato hills of Piemonte. Our aim is to produce authentic, well-priced still and sparkling wines from local grape varieties. All aspects of production, from grape selection through to vinification, maturation, blending and bottling are meticulously overseen by Araldica's winemaking team of Claudio Manera and Lella Burdese - assisted by Boutinot's Tony Brown MW. We source from a range of private growers and cooperatives, with whom we have long-term relationships, principally in Veneto, Friuli, Lombardy, Sicily, Puglia, Abruzzo and Sardinia.

Alan's Personal Tasting Note

"This wee beaut is destined to become one of our best sellers (cellars!) medium bodied with lots of juicy black fruits and a real easy drinking smoothness - absolutely no rough edges - a real crowd pleaser at a crowd-pleasing price. Watch this fly!" January 2024

Specifications

Tasting Notes

The bouquet shows tropical fruit with hints of citrus. There is a perfect balance of pure tropical fruit on the palate, with a backbone of acidity. The Fedele is actually a blend of Catarratto, which gives some body, cream and some delicate pear and ripe melon flavours, whilst the Pinot Grigio brings some hints of peach and stoned fruit and an incredible freshness.

Vineyards & Winemaking

Grapes: 60% Catarratto 40% Pinot Grigio.  Both grape varieties are grown in organic vineyards in the Trapani area.  The two different grape varieties are vinified separately, temperature-controlled fermentations then blended and left on the fine lees until the end of the year.

Specifications

Calm expression of an animal capable of enormous effort and equally stubbornness. The donkey represents the soul of working in the fields, a source of life and wealth.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Aroma

The characterful bouquet is a little spicy and reminiscent of jasmine, aromatic herbs and nutmeg, with delicate touches of white peach. 

Palate

On the palate, there is a strong mineral backbone, perfectly balanced with lively acidity. The finish is long and complex with delicious almond flavours.

Viticulture

Our Catarratto grapes are cultivated on slopes at around 400 metres above sea level. Grapes are hand-picked in mid-September in small baskets. Picking takes place in the cool early part of the morning in order to keep the grapes as fresh as possible.

Vinification

The vinification of Catarratto Lucido is carried out on the principle of minimum intervention in order to achieve maximum quality in the finished wine. Grapes are de-stemmed and very softly pressed with a pneumatic press. The must is decanted at a low temperature for about 48 hours before starting the fermentation, which takes place at 17-19C° for about 20 days. After the fermentation is finished the wine is racked and kept on fine lees for at least 5 months, with frequent battonages.

Specifications

 Crisp & zesty style, light & fresh with hints of rich, tropical fruit, plenty of body, some richness and some complexity. There's an awful lot to like here and it's pretty addictive!

Grillo grapes are grown in the top white grape producing area around Marsala.

Tasting Notes

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Nose

Palate

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Production

The Catarratto grapes are sourced from the north-west corner of Sicily, at Calatafimi, between Marsala and Palermo. These Guyot-trained vines grow in high altitude vineyards (around 500m) with chalky soils. The vineyards were converted to organic viticulture in 2005. The grapes are gently pressed and the must vinified at 16ºC. Maturation in stainless steel.

Producer

Established in 2003, Adria Vini is a winemaking venture jointly owned by Boutinot and Araldica Castelvero, the leading co-operative in the Monferrato hills of Piemonte. Our aim is to produce authentic, well-priced still and sparkling wines from local grape varieties. All aspects of production, from grape selection through to vinification, maturation, blending and bottling are meticulously overseen by Araldica's winemaking team of Claudio Manera and Lella Burdese - assisted by Boutinot's Tony Brown MW. We source from a range of private growers and cooperatives, with whom we have long-term relationships, principally in Veneto, Friuli, Lombardy, Sicily, Puglia, Abruzzo and Sardinia.

Alan's Personal Tasting Note

"This packs in a lot for the price point. Immediately attractive concentrated citric aromas lead onto a full-flavoured palate. The citric fruit follows through and is joined with some ripe, rich, tropical fruits. Good acidity, good complexity & a long, lingering finish. Exceptional value - at entry level from Sicily. Organic & vegan approved is an added bonus. This really is a no-brainer - superb value." January 2024

Specifications

A fantastic terroir led Grillo, with crunchy green apple and lean minerality.

It’s made from Sicilian-grown grapes by Casa Vinicola Caldirola in Contra, a small hamlet in the Comune of Missaglia that’s about an hour north of Milan.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Light straw yellow

Nose

Fruity & Characteristic

Taste

Fresh, sourish with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Specifications

A full-flavoured, well-rounded Sicilian white wine brimming with character - excellent value for the price!

Tasting Notes

A honeyed, floral and spicy nose with hints of ginger and stone fruit. Ripe, sun-dried citrus characters on the palate with savoury notes and a creamy texture. Fresh, balanced acidity and a bitter lemon twist on the finish.

Production

Grapes were sourced from vineyards in the coastal zone at the western tip of Sicily, in Petrosino, Trapani and Marzara del Vallo areas. At altitudes between 10 and 50m, in chalky soils with sandy patches, the vines used were of average age 20 – 25 years, and were trained using the Controspalliera system. Yields were 12 – 13 tons per hectare, and harvesting took place from the end of August through to the middle of September. After undergoing temperature-controlled fermentation for 30 days, the resulting wine was filtered and bottled. No oak was used in production.

Producer

Established in 2003, Adria Vini is a winemaking venture jointly owned by Boutinot and Araldica Castelvero, the leading co-operative in the Monferrato hills of Piemonte. Our aim is to produce authentic, well-priced still and sparkling wines from local grape varieties. All aspects of production, from grape selection through to vinification, maturation, blending and bottling are meticulously overseen by Araldica's winemaking team of Claudio Manera and Lella Burdese - assisted by Boutinot's Tony Brown MW. We source from a range of private growers and cooperatives, with whom we have long term relationships, principally in Veneto, Friuli, Lombardy, Sicily, Puglia, Abruzzo and Sardinia.

Specifications

Made on the beautiful island of Sicily - the island breeze cools the vines at night to ensure the palate is fresh, rounded, dry and smooth.

Tasting Notes

A fruity wine with ripe apple and pear flavours. 

Specifications

When they created Senia, they took their inspiration from traditional fermentation techniques. For this reason the Nero d’Avola is fermented in open top barriques, in small quantities of around 150 litres. Senia has a extremely limited production of about 8.000 bottles per year.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Palate

A very full-bodied wine, with a refreshing acidity, and a long finish showing soft and intense tannins.

Vineyards & Vinification

We ferment the grapes in open top barriques in small lots of around 150 litres. Using this method, it’s not possible to control the temperature during fermentation, but it never exceeds 18-24C°. The small volume allows it to adjust itself naturally.

The grapes undergo fermentation for 10-12 days. The use of open top barrels allows us to carry out “follatura” (manually pushing down the skins) as often as is necessary for the natural and delicate extraction of colour and tannins from the skins.

We leave the wine in contact with the skins for about 20 days after the fermentation and then for a total of 30-35 days.

Once the maceration on the skins has ended, the wine is placed in barriques for the malolactic fermentation, after which it remains in barrel for 12 months before bottling. The wine stays a further 6 months in bottle before being released on to the market.

Accolades

91 pts points | James Suckling
I like the dried-spice, tobacco and ash character to the black plum and black cherry fruit. It’s medium- to full-bodied with plenty of spicy and smoky flavours. Soft tannins. Delicious now.

17/20 points | Jancis Robinson

Specifications

This great value Montepulciano is an expressive, fruity and all-round delicious wine from Abruzzo in central Italy. Created by the 3rd generation Caldirola family who have been there since 1897.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Intense ruby red

Nose

Characteristic and fruit

Palate

Specifications

Made from Sicilian-grown grapes by Casa Vinicola Caldirola in Contra, a small hamlet in the Comune of Missaglia that’s about an hour north of Milan.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Nose

Palate

Specifications

Nerello Mascalese is widely considered Sicily's premier red grape variety, contributing to many of its most acclaimed wines, especially those from Etna. It serves as an excellent introduction to the varietal, offering a lively, youthful red brimming with cherry flavors, presented in a juicier, more approachable style than the typically more structured Sicilian reds.

Tasting Notes

Bright aromas of redcurrants and cherry. The palate is soft and juicy with ripe plum, red berry and cherry flavours, gentle tannins, and fresh acidity on the finish.

Production

The Nerello Mascalese was sourced from a long-standing partner of Adria Vini in western Sicily and was vinified in stainless steel.

Producer

Established in 2003, Adria Vini is a winemaking venture jointly owned by Boutinot and Araldica Castelvero, the leading co-operative in the Monferrato hills of Piemonte. Our aim is to produce authentic, well-priced still and sparkling wines from local grape varieties. All aspects of production, from grape selection through to vinification, maturation, blending and bottling are meticulously overseen by Araldica's winemaking team of Claudio Manera and Lella Burdese - assisted by Boutinot's Tony Brown MW. We source from a range of private growers and cooperatives, with whom we have long term relationships, principally in Veneto, Friuli, Lombardy, Sicily, Puglia, Abruzzo and Sardinia.

Specifications

Sabuci is the name of the contrada or hamlet where Cortese has been situated since 1930. It is an historical area, perfectly suited to the production of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, which is the reason why we have given the name “Sabuci” to this wine.

Sabuci has a very limited production of about 7.000 bottles per year.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Palate

The palate is elegant and complex. Hugely concentrated, the tannins are at the same time firm and persistent.

Vineyards& Vinification

The area around Cortese, in the region of Vittoria, was strongly influenced by Greek culture and the very important ancient Greek site of Kamarina is located nearby.

We have been inspired by ancient Greek culture in the way we have chosen to make our Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico.

Sabuci is made with the best selection of grapes – Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%). The grapes carefully hand-harvested at the end of September and beginning of October. The grapes are put into small containers and we lower the temperature to around 10°C.

The two grape varieties are vinified separately, in different ways: the Nero d’Avola is fermented in open top barriques, enabling us to follow a really scrupulous process. We carry out “follatura” (immersion of the skins) by hand and extremely delicately. The Frappato, on the other hand, is fermented in 7hl terracotta amphorae. The natural porosity of terracotta allows the ideal oxygen exchange during the fermentation process. At the same time it also allows the wine to remain in contact with the skins for an extended period of up to 12 months. The wines are blended together and are aged for six months in barriques and botti of various sizes. The wine remains in bottle for at least 3 months before being introduced to the market

Awards

• 17/20 points - Jancis Robinson

Specifications