Com_St_2008_03_26_ViniAnnate_ENG-1.pdf
Vinitaly remains the most important appointment of the year for engaging gears with the most demanding markets and wine-lovers. An event that everyone at Donnafugata lives with great passion. Donnafugata is proposing many novelties at its stand (Pavillon 2, position H-181/G-170).
First of all, let’s talk about wine, the protagonist. Donnafugata is bringing for tasting all of its wines including some new vintages, which have been recognized as expressions of the winemaking excellence of the territory, whether at Contessa Entellina in the hinterland of Palermo or on the island of Pantelleria. The wines are the destination of an exemplary road to quality where nature and human labor combine in perfect equilibrium.
Alcohol: 13.06 vol., Total acidity: 5.79 g/l., pH: 3.27.
Climatic conditions during the growing season assured perfect ripening of the grapes from the standpoint of aroma and sugar as revealed in the Anthìlia 2007 through an agreeable mineral touch and an excellent acidic structure. The drinkable nature of this wine is rendered even more attractive by a highly fragrant aromatic profile.
Polena 2007 – white <Catarratto and Viognier IGT Sicilia>
Alcohol: 13.21% vol., Total acidity: 5.91 g/l., pH: 3.26.
We are in the second year of the production of this wine whose personality we are perfecting. The Polena 2007 is in fact one of the most complete interpretations of the Viognier variety. In that respect it should be noted that in the last week of July, the variation between day and night temperatures amounted to more than 20° C. Such variations contribute greatly to the aromatic finesse of the Viognier, which precisely in that period was in a vital phase of the ripening process. The weather pattern also favored expression of the varietal characteristics of the Catarratto, which gives this wine an extremely pleasant and prolonged aroma and flavor
Lighea 2007 – white <Zibibbo and Catarratto IGT Sicilia>
Alcohol: 12.81% vol., Total acidity: 5.86 g/l., pH: 3.29.
This Lighea is offered in a new blend: 50% Catarratto and 50% Zibibbo (Ansonica is no longer present in the wine). The 2007 vintage offered ideal conditions for exaltation of the aroma and the mineral touch of the Zibibbo, as well as the freshness and acidic structure of the Catarratto. In particular, the climatic trend characterized by substantial variations in daily temperatures emphasized the unusual features of the varieties and enabled them to arrive at a renewed equilibrium.
Chiarandà 2006 – white <DOC Contessa Entellina>
Alcohol: 13.76% vol., Total acidity: 6.21 g/l., pH: 3.37.
Because of climatic conditions in the 2006 vintage, the Chardonnay and Ansonica grapes were able to attain complete ripeness in a balanced way. The different parts of the vineyard were harvested one by one as they reached the peak of quality in keeping with the objective of exalting their varietal characteristics. The fermentation of the various wine bases is carried out separately in stainless steel tanks.
A period of maturation of about six months follows. Half of the fermenting mass is matured in small glass-lined cement tanks. The other half is matured prevalently in new barriques and, in small part, in tonneaux and barriques being used for the second time. The choice of different woods is based on ample experience and is always intended to secure the most elegant and complex expression of the “fruit.” It pleases now and it will be extremely interesting to taste it throughout its long and positive evolution.
Sherazade 2007 – red <Nero d’Avola and Syrah IGT Sicilia>
Alcohol: 13.28% vol., Total acidity: 5.58 g/l., pH: 3.41.
Perfect phenolic maturation of the Nero d’Avola and Syrah grapes has given Sherazade 2007 tannins that are unusually sweet. The fruit is irrepressible and it is possible to appreciate all the wine’s pleasing fragrance. A delightful goblet at a wine bar or as an accompaniment to salumi (preserved meats) and introductory and main course dishes that are not excessively elaborate.
Sedàra 2006 – red <Nero d’Avola IGT Sicilia>
Alcohol: 13.97% vol., Total acidity: 5.66 g/l., pH: 3.48.
Sedàra 2006 has perfected the new physiognomy that this wine assumed as long ago as the 2005 vintage: good structure, softness and quickness of response. Results pursued in the vineyard through the search for fruit with maximum integrity and in the winery with maceration that is not too prolonged and then with maturation carried out exclusively in glass-lined cement tanks. A Nero d’Avola that is superbly clean on the nose and a pleasure in the mouth.
Angheli 2005 – red <Nero d’Avola and Merlot IGT Sicilia>
Alcohol: 13.91% vol., Total acidity: 5.83 g/l, pH: 3.61.
A wine that decidedly continues to grow as ratified by the testimony of this, its ninth vintage. The growing season in 2005 was cooler and damper in comparison with the average so that more attention and patience were required for the management of the vineyard. In the winery, the manual submerging of the cap permitted more delicate extraction. The result is an Angheli with sweet tannins and a pronounced aromatic purity. It is a prompt wine that makes excellent drinking and in which Nero d’Avola and Merlot meld extremely well.
Alcohol: 13.93% vol., Total acidity: 6.03 g/l., pH: 3.57.
Yield no greater than one kilo (2.2 lbs.) of grapes per vine, meticulous monitoring of the maturation curve of the grapes, so that, in a cool vintage like that of 2005, there was no rush to harvest the clusters. Those were the presuppositions of a Tancredi that developed extraordinary equilibrium.
The various batches of Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon chosen for this wine were matured separately for 12 months in oak barrels with the objective of extracting all the sensory power of the two varieties.
Good structure, pleasant softness, excellent aromatic finesse, like the potential for aging.
Alcohol: 13.94% vol., Total acidity: 6.26 g/l., pH: 3.52.
For Mille e una Notte, the 2005 vintage was its 10th. It was an important turning point, which was taken as the sign of a profound awareness of the viticultural heritage to which this wine owed its creation. From its first vintage forward, many small improvements have gradually but steadily been made in the production of Mille e una Notte, but always with a precise objective: interpreting in the best way the strong points of the territory and of Nero d’Avola in terms not only of structure and longevity but also of “fruit.”
The focus in the vineyard is on having relatively few grapes that are balanced from the technological, aromatic and phenolic standpoints. Through maddeningly thorough operations in the vineyard, including extremely frequent tastings of the grapes, we have succeeded in identifying the ideal moments for harvesting the different segments of the vineyard, thereby avoiding excessive concentration. In the cellar, vinification is carried out with maximum respect for the raw material brought from the vineyard.
The wine is matured in oak used for the first time, a process requiring 14-16 months. It is aimed at developing the elegance and complexity that distinguishes this wine and that we believe will be appreciated by many wine lovers for many years.
Kabir 2006 – naturally sweet white <DOC Moscato di Pantelleria>
Alcohol: 11.69% vol., Total acidity: 7.37 g/l., Residual sugar: 109 g/l.
The 2006 vintage turned in an excellent performance on Pantelleria. Tasting that year’s Kabir recalls the intense pleasure derived from eating a Zibibbo grape, if you were fortunate enough to be on the island in early September. In Kabir 2006, fruit—rich and meaty—is powerfully predominant. Freshness along with mineral notes (traceable to the volcanic nature of the soil on Pantelleria) round out this wine, which is so versatile and pleasant.
Ben Ryé 2006 – naturally sweet white <DOC Passito di Pantelleria>
Alcohol: 14.19% vol., Total acidity: 7.46 g/l., Residual sugars: 190 g/l.
The 2006 vintage on Pantelleria featured climatic conditions that were extremely well balanced, which permitted perfect ripening of the grapes. The Ben Ryè of this vintage is characterized by an excellent equilibrium between structures of acids and sugars. The color is golden yellow with brilliant amber reflections. The bouquet is full and seductive with scents of ripe apricots and Mediterranean underbrush. In the mouth the wine is encompassing with notes of candied citrus fruit and honey. There is a delicate mineral touch in the finish with shadings that recall flint. The 2006 is an excellent expression of the “terroir” and of the Ben Ryè style, which is complex, pleasant and elegant. Great longevity is expected.
Baldo M. Palermo [email protected] phone +39 0923 724226
Laura Ellwanger: [email protected] phone. +39 0923 724258
Nando Calaciura [email protected] mob. +39 338 3229837
