Red Wine Serra Ferdinandea 2019

Serra Ferdinandea is a winery with a recent history that speaks a truly international language. Angelo Planeta, who for the past trant years has been working to enhance the territory and wines of his native Sicily, is collaborating with Lorraine Oddo, a member of an important wine family in Provence, who is engaged in a vast worldwide project dedicated to the most prestigious wine-growing areas. The immediate hinterland of the Sicilian coast around Sciacca is the landscape in which the achievements of this French-Italian union come to life: the rocky heights known locally as "serre," in view of the southern horizon where the legendary Ferdinandea Island arose in 1831 from a volcanic explosion, submerged after a few months by the waves. The label of this bottle recalls in full the mythical origins of an area that knew wine as early as 6,000 years ago: a chimera half winged sea monster and half giant anemone with long octopus tentacles.

Serra Ferdinandea's "Rosso" comes to life from a blend of Nero d'Avola and Syrah grapes, grown according to biodynamic principles and vinified separately. The vineyards are located facing the sea, in Sambuca di Sicilia: Risinata, located at an altitude of 220 meters and characterized by limestone rocks and surface clay; Monti Cirami, at an altitude of 411 meters, has a complex stratification of limestone mixed with stones and sand, silt and clay. These are soils that allow the vines to withstand summer droughts and emerged from ancient marine deposits. Harvesting is done by hand, after mid-September. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes are destemmed and softly crushed. Fermentation takes place in steel tanks for half the masses and in wooden vats for the other half, all 50-hectoliter containers. The period of maceration on the skins lasts 4 weeks, and subsequent aging takes place for a few months in the same vats, flanked by barriques and tonneaux.

A "Red" that is immediately elegant in appearance: deep ruby red, with expectations of certain structure on rotation. The aromas recall a woodland setting: small fruits, between blackberry and blueberry, with sweeter cherry veins. Interesting and well integrated emerges the spicy part, derived from Syrah. The taste has a rich and enveloping impact, very well balanced by the breath of freshness due to the vineyard altitudes. A sip of certain elegance to be paired perhaps with a parmigiana di melanzane, by Italian tradition, or with a gigot d'agneau, for a French pairing.