Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
Dagala di Bocca d’Orzo comes from the last vineyard known to have survived the 1981 lava flow that buried almost all of contrada Bocca d’Orzo. Discovered in 2017, the parcel is completely encircled by the flow and functions as an estate monopole. The Sicilian word “dagala” conveys the idea of an island and, in a wine context, the equivalent of a clos.
The vineyard lies in contrada Bocca d’Orzo in Randazzo, at 800 metres above sea level on Etna’s northern slope. Its volcanic soil is relatively deep and has few stones; the vineyard page further characterizes it through pumice, basalt and sand. The 70–80-year-old vines are trained as alberello and modified alberello.
Grapes
100% Nerello Mascalese.
Vinification
Harvest takes place during the second ten days of October. Alcoholic fermentation is conducted at a controlled 28–30°C, followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation.
Ageing
The wine spends 14 months in French-oak barriques and tonneaux, followed by one month in steel before bottling.
Technical data
Alcohol is 14.5%. Yield is 4 tonnes per hectare. Annual production is approximately 800 bottles of 750 ml.
Tasting profile
The colour ranges from ruby to pale ruby. The penetrating bouquet brings together ripe fruit and spice. The palate is structured and complex, with smooth tannins.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 18–20°C with meat or aged cheese.
Label / history
Bocca d’Orzo and neighbouring San Lorenzo were historically among Etna’s most esteemed contrade, but the 1981 eruption erased almost the entire vineyard area before any wine had been bottled under the contrada name. The surviving parcel was purchased after lengthy negotiations with its four owners. Its first vintage was 2019, producing three barriques and scheduled for bottling in 2021.
