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Rosso del Soprano 2016, Palari
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Grape
Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera, Galatena
Region
Sicily
Drinking Window
Ready or drink by 2025
Pairings
Traditional Sicilian Caponata, Pasta with Pesto alla trapanese sauce, grilled tuna steak, rabbit stew, semi aged cheese, Mixed vegetables pie
Winemaker Notes
The grapes of Nerello Mascalese, Nocera, Nerello Cappuccio and Galatena are grown in the vineyards cultivated in the Palari district, in the province of Messina. It is here that the winery is dedicated to the production of its wines from native vineyards, in a particular microclimate given by the sudden altitude that reaches 420 meters above sea level.
The selection of the grapes is rigid and careful, for a viticulture that focuses on quality at the expense of quantity. The pressing of the grapes is soft and fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures. Rosso del Soprano ages in wooden barrique and ages in air-conditioned rooms. The red vinification follows traditional methods. The final refinement in the bottle lasts at least 8 months.
The Story
Salvatore Geraci, in the 1980s, was a famous and successful architect who looked to wine as a genuine product, coming from the family vineyard, but never would have thought of making it a profession. The turning point is represented by a chat with his friend Luigi Veronelli, who urges him both to bottle his wine and to enhance the production of Faro, an ancient and noble local wine obtained from Nerello Mascalese grapes. Luigi immediately puts him in contact with Donato Lanati, a Piedmontese winemaker, who embraces the project and enhances it as soon as he sees Salvatore's vineyard, a splendid sapling vineyard of 4 hectares, on a very steep slope overlooking the Strait of Messina.
Today Salvatore's company is based in a beautiful eighteenth-century villa in Santo Stefano Briga, in the province of Messina and, although the vineyard area does not exceed 6 hectares, it represents one of the most beautiful wineries in the region. In the almost 6 hectares of vineyards, mainly Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and Nocera are grown, but also almost unknown native vines, such as Acitana and Galatea.
The particular position of the vineyard, with a slope close to 70%, the nature of the soil, the pruning aimed at quality, the very low yields of less than a kilogram per vine and a modern production philosophy are the keys to the success of this beautiful winery. In the Palari cellar, then, the maturation times and the use of the barrique are wisely controlled by Salvatore Geraci himself, who does not use clarification and filtration processes.
