Marabino Rosso di Contrada Terre Siciliane IGT 2020

Everything you’d hope for in a Sicilian Nero d’Avola: balanced with modest alcohol, juicy red fruit, a herbal note and finely woven tannins. The nose is subtle and savory, with notes of cured meat, soil, balsamic vinegar and black licorice. In contrast, the palate is juicy with cherry, raspberry and pomegranate and nearly fizzy with acidity above dusty tannins.

Crafted from 100% Nero d'Avola, this biodynamic red hails from the Val di Noto region in southeastern Sicily. The grapes are sourced from four north-eastern facing vineyards: Coniglio, Lenza Lunga, Conca, and Parrino. The vines thrive in clay-limestone soils at altitudes ranging from 30 to 80 meters. The wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by maturation in the same vessels for 12 months. After blending, it rests in bottle for an additional 12 months before release.

In ancient times, the red wines of this territory were known as Pachino wines, not Nero d’Avola, because each district (“contrada” in Italian) produced different wines from the same vines, thanks to the nature of the soils and to the different microclimates.

Meaning "land of the beloved sun," the Marabino project was born in 2002 in the Val di Noto region, at the southeasternmost tip of the island. Lead vigneron Pierpaolo Messina began his career as a winemaker through a stint living in Siena. While in the north, he observed the biodynamic practices of his Tuscan peers, where such farming methods were more common. When he returned to Sicily to set up shop, he was able to confidently apply all that he had learned to his own vines.

His 30 hectares of vineyards surround the winery and are divided into 18 distinctive parcels according to their soil types. The Ionian Sea is just a few kilometres away which tempers the intense summer heat. The cooling coastal breezes wash over the vines, helping to retain the fresh acidity and modest alcohol that we find in his wines.

His commitment to the earth is at the heart of all his viticultural and winemaking decisions. They grow olive trees and orchards, which provide shade for the vines in this hot climate, while helping to preserve natural habitats for local wildlife. The winery has vowed to never use synthetic chemicals in either vineyard or cellar. Wild yeasts are used for every fermentation, and each parcel is vinified separately, allowing the true sense of place to shine through in the bottle.