Frank Cornelissen "Susucaru Patos" Terre Siciliane IGP 2023

Golden in color, Patos is a wonderfully intriguing skin-contact white that balances juicy fruit with savory complexity and refreshing acidity. Aromas of ripe apricot, tangerine and orange peel mingle with delicate jasmine and chamomile, while the palate reveals layers of stone fruit, honey and subtle nutty notes. A saline edge and pronounced mineral character carry through a long, textured finish, making this a wine that feels simultaneously vibrant, nuanced and gently grippy.

Made from 100% Catarratto Extra Lucido, an indigenous Sicilian white grape, Patos comes from vineyards in Vallone Gurra Belice, in the Menfi region of western Sicily. The south-facing vines average more than 20 years of age and grow at a modest elevation of around 50 meters. The grapes are destemmed and lightly crushed, then fermented with indigenous yeasts following a pied de cuve, with approximately ten days of skin contact to build texture and complexity. The wine ages for around ten months in neutral epoxy vessels and is bottled without fining, with light filtration. Sulfur is added only as needed, depending on the vintage and the wine’s stability.

Patos began in 2021 as a collaborative project between Frank Cornelissen, Norwegian importer Jørgen Ljøstad and musician Sondre Lerche, who admired Cornelissen’s wines and wanted a distinctive white of his own. Initially created for the Norwegian market, the project gave Cornelissen an opportunity to explore a more approachable style of skin-contact wine: light on its feet, refreshing, and uncomplicated, yet full of character. Best known for his low-intervention wines from Mount Etna, Cornelissen has been a pioneering figure in Italian natural wine since establishing his estate in 2001. With Patos, he brings that same thoughtful philosophy to Catarratto, delivering a distinctive expression of Sicilian fruit, texture, and terroir.