Santa Tresa, starting from 2001, cultivates indigenous clones of Frappato, Nero d’Avola and Grillo, which are very typical of the region. Frappato is an excellent indigenous variety from Vittoria, Grillo originates from western Sicily, while Nero d’Avola comes from Avola, a small town a few kilometers from Vittoria.
At Santa Tresa they also cultivate non-indigenous grape varieties rarely found in Sicily, such as Viognier from France, which has found ideal growing conditions there. They have also an experimental vineyard, which is completely organically cultivated and dedicated to rediscovering indigenous, traditional vines by their bio-types.
They have recently invested in connecting directly with a local reservoir and only use natural rainwater for our irrigation, without using wells, or taking water out of the soil.
Winemaking: HARVEST: The Avulisi vineyard is small, covering less than a hectare. The soil is the typical terra rossa or red soil, which contrasts with the green of the vines, making the vineyard strikingly beautiful. The Nero d’Avola vines were first planted here in 1964 and produce amazingly complex, excellent quality grapes. The grapes are hand-picked at the peak of maturity at the end of September. They are put into small containers of 15kg. VINIFICATION: Harvest is at the end of September and is done extremely carefully by hand in the early hours of the morning to avoid the heat of the Sicilian sun. We put the grapes into small containers of only 15kg to ensure that they are not crushed by their own weight. The grapes are put into a cold room overnight. It is of fundamental importance that they reach the optimum temperature for processing of (7-8 °C). AGEING: Avulisi is aged in barriques for at least 12 months. The wine rests in bottle for 6 months before release.
Organoleptic Characteristics
- Colour: Intense purple.
- Nose and flavour: The nose is a wonderful combination of black cherries, chocolate, almonds and spices. The well-structured palate is broad and warm, full of red fruits, spices and a long finish with liquorice notes.
Suggestions
- Serving Temperature and Food Matching Serving temperature: 18-20°C
- Recommended with:mature cheeses and highly flavored meat or wild mushroom dishes.
