Il Pirata Vol. 4

Sicily, a land rich in history and diverse in its viticultural landscapes, often finds itself underrated in the world of fine wine. However, for those willing to explore its varied terroirs, Sicily offers wines of remarkable energy and complexity. This tasting aimed to celebrate the island's unique offerings, featuring bottles that embody the spirit and character of Sicilian winemaking.

And let's face it, this isn't our first journey to the island, so it calls for a bit of the unknown, right? Most of the wines we have today were purchased from different countries in Europe as they are not imported to Ukraine. There are wineries you may already love, and there are some you will hopefully come to love.

As with most wine tastings, I try to select wines based on the participants' preferences. That's why we have such a bold selection of wines tonight. Also, due to the limited volume of the last two bottles, we gathered in a smaller company, which is actually wonderful as Sicily is something deeply personal for me, and sharing it in an intimate setting only enhances the experience.

Without further ado, meet the protagonists of the evening!

P.S. The price of wines ordered from EU include delivery fees, hence it's not 100% accurate in QPR calculations.

Gulfi Carjcanti 2014

Oh, I can already hear the ironic thoughts buzzing in your head. This is a meeting about Sicily, and Boris has once again brought something from Gulfi. Yes, I do love these Psyche's little buttocks, what can I say? Specifically, Carjcanti is one of my favourite wines, especially considering the price. So it's no surprise that on one hand, Gulfi wines often end up in our glasses, and on the other, that we're tasting Carjcanti again---and certainly not for the last time.

Unfortunately, I rarely get to taste this wine when it's aged. Usually, it's one to three years old. Once, we managed to organise a small vertical tasting, where 2015 was the oldest vintage, meaning the wine was 8 years old. Now, I've got a bottle that's already 10 years old. Not a bad start to the evening, right?

I don't want to repeat myself, so please check out a separate article if you're interested in learning more about the winery and my thoughts on it. But it's worth saying a few words about the wine itself.

Carjcanti is 100% Carricante from the Vigna Campo vineyards in the district of Passo Guastella Chiaramonte Gulfi. Essentially, it comes from Monti Iblei in Chiaramonte Gulfi (Ragusa province, South-Eastern Sicily). The vines grow in limestone clay soils at 420 metres above sea level. The grapes are harvested during the third week of September and then fermented into white wine with a direct press in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels (500L and 2500L).

Tanca Nica Nivuro Nostrale 2022

I had an interesting encounter with Tanca Nica. Although Sicily is already on my radar, I only learned about this winemaker when the guys from Sabotage invited me to meet Francesco Ferreri (he and his wife are the owners of the winery). So, I went online to read about them and found out it's an intriguing young winery! They have everything you'd want: a terroir-driven approach, located on Pantelleria, working with not just young vines, and, interestingly, not only with Zibibbo!

It turns out that Sabotage plans to import wines from Tanca Nica, but Nivuro Nostrale isn't on the list. Why? Because it's made in such small quantities! According to Francesco, the grapes for this wine come from 97 vines that are over 100 years old. Additionally, this blend of Pignatello and Alicante is the winery's only red wine. How could we miss such a unique offering? Thanks to our friend Serhii, I managed to get a bottle to satisfy my curiosity.

The vines grow on volcanic soil (who would have guessed?). Whole cluster vinification. Unfined, unfiltered, and no added SO₂. By the way, Nivuro Nostrale is the local name for Pignatello, a grape variety sometimes referred to as Perricone on the mainland and occasionally in Sicily.

You can learn more about the winery on a dedicated page.

Lamoresca Elsa 2019

Lamoresca has been on my radar for quite some time. I've heard mixed opinions, and while I can't form an opinion on every winemaker in the world; when it comes to Sicily, I want to have my own experience.

The agricultural farm "Lamoresca" is situated in the heart of Sicily, in the small town of San Michele di Ganzaria, in the "Gigliotto" district. The farm began in 2000 with its first piece of land, an olive grove with 46 ancient olive trees of the local "Moresca" variety, hence the name "Lamoresca." Today, Lamoresca cultivates 25 hectares of vines, olive trees, prickly pears, and other fruit trees, all located in the hills at an altitude of 430 meters above sea level. The soil here is a mix of sandstone, clay, and silex, and the region benefits from a typical Mediterranean climate: very warm and dry in the summer, with minimal rainfall.

Everything at Lamoresca is cultivated organically, with great respect for nature. The fields are surrounded by Mediterranean scrub and wild herbs, fostering a biodiversity that includes various animals and insects, even porcupines. This biodiversity is crucial for maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

Filippo Rizzo and his wife Nancy met many years ago while Filippo owned a small restaurant in Belgium. At that time, Filippo was among the first to talk about and serve natural wines outside of Paris. His family had ties to Sicily, and he was passionate about preserving the land and making additive-free wine. After years in the restaurant and retail business, Filippo decided to become a winemaker, purchasing an 11-hectare farm, with 4 hectares under vine. Filippo and Nancy built Lamoresca from the ground up, reviving old olive groves and vines. Filippo also spent several vintages with fellow winemaker Frank Cornelissen on the slopes of Mt. Etna. Lamoresca is the only winery within roughly a 50 square kilometre area, and Filippo, along with his farmhand Gaetano, works the land entirely by hand.

The old vines owned by Lamoresca include Nero d'Avola, Grenache, and Nerocapitano (Frappato) for the reds, and the extremely rare Vermentino Corso and some Roussanne for the whites. The wines are naturally fermented without temperature control, and minimal sulfur is used only if absolutely necessary.

Elsa is a blend of Nerello Mascalese, Frappato, and Nero d'Avola. The grapes are harvested manually from early September to mid-October, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and undergo long maceration on the skins. The wine is aged for 12 months in concrete tanks and then for 2 years in the bottle.

Vino di Anna Q1000 Tataraci Rosso 2014

There was a time when Sabotage organised Friday parties near Yellow Place, Goodwine. This is where Ivan Omelchenko introduced me to Vino di Anna, and this is where he started to joke that I'd become their brand ambassador. While I don't drink their wines often these days, I still hold a special place for these folks in my heart. So, I am happy to share a rather aged bottle of a very special wine---the 2014 Q1000 Tataraci.

Vino di Anna is a small, family wine estate situated high on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, near the village of Solicchiata. The heart of the domain is in Contrada Crasà, where the winery and family home are located. The rest of the vineyards are situated in different contrade (historic lava flows) from the secluded 100-year-old Don Alfio vineyard in Contrada Piano Filici, above the village of Rovittello, to the renowned Contrada Rampante, above Passopisciaro. The white vineyards are concentrated on the north-western side of the volcano in Contrada Nave, not far from the estate's Grenache-dominant vineyard in Contrada Tataraci, near the village of Maletto.

Anna Martens and Eric Narioo made their first wine together on Mount Etna in 2008. In 2010, the couple purchased their first vineyard of old bush vines of Nerello Mascalese in Contrada Crasà, along with a neighbouring, derelict Etnean palmento and wine cellar. Today, with a team of locals, they cultivate organically eight hectares of terraced land, divided into small vineyard plots and olive groves scattered across the north face of the volcano. Grapes are hand-harvested in September and October and fermented into a range of natural wines, expressive of their terroir. The estate also produces extra virgin olive oil and rears the rare Sicilian black bee.

Eric and Anna aim to make wines that are tasty, expressive, true to their provenance, and reflective of the growing season each year. All of the vineyards are tended by hand and farmed without the use of any agrochemicals. Only healthy ripe grapes are harvested by hand and brought to the wine cellar. Here, there is minimal intervention; fermentation is by indigenous yeasts at ambient temperature. No additives are used. Wines are vinified and aged in lava stone, chestnut and French wood, Georgian qvevri, glass, and stainless steel. They are naturally clarified by gravity and are not filtered. Zero or minuscule quantities of SO₂ are added, only when it is deemed necessary for the stability of the wine.

Vino di Anna's qvevri wines are fermented and macerated in Georgian qvevris, handmade by one of the few remaining artisans, Zaaliko Bodjadze, near Makatubani, Georgia. Zaaliko and his sons source clay from the high Caucasus mountains, shape the vessels by hand, and coat them with beeswax. Eight qvevris were delivered to Vino di Anna in 2013 and were buried in a specially built-underground cellar at the back of the winery.

The wine "Tataraci" Q1000 is made from organically grown grapes hand-harvested from a single vineyard in Contrada Tataraci. This contrada is located above the "Quota Mille" road that encircles Etna, on the northern face near Maletto. The vineyard includes 70-year-old bush vines of Nerello Mascalese and Alicante (Grenache). The grapes were hand-destemmed into a 1,200-litre qvevri buried underground. Fermentation occurred spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. After fermentation, the qvevri was sealed, and the must macerated on the skins for two months. The wine was then pressed and placed into a smaller qvevri, where it remained on fine lees until bottling, without fining or filtration.

Tanca Nica Passulata 2021

And we're back to Pantelleria! Once again, we're talking about Tanca Nica. This island is primarily known for its capers and sweet Zibibbo wines. And you know me---I love to end any wine evening with either a sweet wine or a distilled spirit. Something bold and rich to end on a high note!

This little gem (375 ml) is made from the best grapes from the Bonsulton contrada, harvested in early August and left to dry on the ground among the Zibibbo plants. After ten days, the grapes are hand-destemmed and then vinified and aged exclusively in demijohns. Passulata is bottled at least two years after its harvest. It can only be produced in the best years, with very high-quality grapes.

Indeed, it's not made every year. For instance, in 2023, due to heavy rains in May and June, most vineyards were infested with downy mildew, which is quite unusual for the island's typically hot and dry climate. These fungal infections delayed the ripening of the grapes, even in the "first-fruit" soils (like Bonsulton), where the grapes are usually ready to be dried in early August. As a result, there is no passito in 2023!

By the way, Sabotage plans to bring this wine soon!

Marco De Bartoli Vergine Marsala Riserva 1988

Why stop at sweet wine when you can finish this evening with fortified wine? And not just any fortified wine, but a 36-year-old Marsala from Marco de Bartoli!

According to the winemaker, the Marsala Vergine ("Virgin") Riserva 1988 is undoubtedly the most controversial reserve ever crafted by Marco De Bartoli, embodying the inner contradictions typical of Sicilian culture. In 1988, Marco took on the challenge of this Marsala style, which he often set aside because, in his vision, the only wine deserving of the "virgin" attribute was his Vecchio Samperi, made without any fortification or sweetening. "Marsala Vergine" refers to a specific style of Marsala characterized by the absence of any added sweeteners or caramel, resulting in a dry wine that highlights the natural qualities of the grape and terroir. Today, Marco's children---Renato, Sebastiano, and Giuseppina---have decided to share this unique wine. Traditional and modern at the same time, it is the fruit of Marco's tireless experimentation over the years.

This wine is 100% Grillo, from vines aged between 20 and 40 years, grown in the Samperi district of Marsala, Western Sicily. The vines are cultivated using the single Guyot system, with a planting density of 3,500 plants per hectare on limestone, sandy loam soil. The grapes were harvested manually at the end of September, with clusters placed in small cases to ensure they remained intact.

The winemaking process involved manual grape selection, soft pressing, natural decantation, and traditional fermentation in oak and chestnut vats at room temperature. A portion of the must was fortified in 1988 with acquavite (brandy) made from the same grapes. The wine was then aged for over 30 years in chestnut and oak vats of different sizes before being bottled in January 2019. Only 1,500 bottles were produced, making this a truly rare vintage.

Marco de Bartoli played a pivotal role in changing the perception of Marsala wine. At a time when the region was known for producing poor-quality wines, Marco's commitment to quality and tradition helped restore Marsala's reputation. His innovative approach and dedication to showcasing the potential of the Grillo grape have left a lasting legacy in the world of winemaking. This Marsala Vergine Riserva 1988 is a testament to his vision and craftsmanship, embodying the rich history and evolving traditions of the Marsala region.

Resources

• Tanca Nica. Louis/Dressner Selections.
• Call with Francesco Ferreri and Sabotage crew on 22 January 2024.
• Marsala Vergine Riserva 1988. Marco de Bartoli.
• Lamoresca.
• Lamoresca Elsa.
• Lamoresca. Selection Naturel.
• Lamoresca. Tutto Wines.
• Vino di Anna.

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