For several years now, the name of Francesca Barracco has been associated with a brilliant and innovative wine production that is making a name for itself on the Sicilian wine scene as a surprising revelation. Francesca Barracco's properties extend over 50 hectares in the Mazara del Vallo area, almost all of which are planted with vines. These vast estates are the result of the union of two historic families of growers: the Maiale family, producers of Marsala wine from the early 19th to the early 20th century, and the Barracco family. For years Francesca managed these properties together with her three grandchildren Laura, Franco and Silvia, delivering the harvested grapes to cooperative wineries. This was until her son Roberto Bruno, after abandoning his legal career in Milan, returned to Sicily to dedicate himself to the family vineyards and to inaugurate a production of wine with a strong artisanal character.

Francesca Barracco's 42 hectares of vineyards are located in Mazzara del Vallo between the districts of Roccazzo and Minnello, and have been organically cultivated since the 1990s. Most of the vines are over 50 years old and the varieties grown are typically Sicilian, such as Catarratto, Grillo, Insolia and Nero d'Avola, together with international varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Roberto Bruno's first attempts at vinification focused on the Catarratto grape and achieved unexpected results. Following an old-fashioned and uncompromising production style, based on the most authentic rural practices, Roberto avoids the use of any chemical substance. In the cellar, he relies on the spontaneous transformation of must into wine: the skins macerate for a few days in the liquid part of the must (in some cases), no yeast or other additives are added, sulphites are reduced to a minimum and all operations are scheduled following Maria Thun's biodynamic calendar.

Francesca Barracco's wines are characterised by a strong Mediterranean personality but with a subtle, smooth and flowing drinkability. They are the precious fruit of simple but very rigorous operations both in the vineyard and in the cellar, based on the valorisation of the surprising natural resources of the territory and the peculiarities of the vine. A deep respect for nature, for the variety of grapes and for the island of Sicily are the strengths of this small artisanal production that is bound to become increasingly popular and astonish wine lovers all over the world.

Catarratto Barracco 2022

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