Storia
Agricultural setting
Tenuta Gelso Grande occupies part of the long-established agricultural landscape of western Sicily, where viticulture, olive growing and fruit cultivation have coexisted for centuries. The estate is the production heart of Feudi Branciforti dei Bordonaro and combines native Sicilian grapes with international varieties adapted to its hilly Trapani setting.
Documented production milestones
The earliest first vintage identified for the present range is the 2002 Catarratto. The first Jolie sparkling-wine vintage followed in 2015. The first vintages identified for Syrah, Merlot and Nero d’Avola are from 2021. Chardonnay, Grillo and Rosato are identified from the 2022 vintage.
The resulting range was conceived to express individual grape varieties while also exploring combinations of native and international grapes. Most wines are varietal bottlings; Rosato combines Nero d’Avola and Merlot, while Jolie brings together native aromatic and semi-aromatic white varieties.
Terroir
Tenuta Gelso Grande lies in the Trapani countryside of western Sicily, between Monte Erice and the Egadi islands. Its rows extend across gently rolling hills generally described as lying 300–400 metres above sea level, close to the coastal belt.
The vineyards experience a Mediterranean macroclimate moderated by the nearby sea. This maritime influence produces relatively limited daily and annual temperature variation. The broader setting combines the coastal strip with nearby hill systems.
The estate’s soils are generally medium-textured, tending toward clay or clay loam, with a measured limestone component and a balanced mineral composition. The sites used for the native-white sparkling cuvée are described as tending more distinctly toward limestone, while the Syrah vines are associated with clay soils and low, evenly distributed yields.
Native and international varieties occupy specifically selected portions of the vineyard so that each receives an appropriate exposure to sunlight. Most technical profiles place the vines at approximately 300 metres. Nero d’Avola is associated with a southern exposure, while several other plantings are described as north-facing. Separate descriptions place Grillo on southwest-facing ground at 300–400 metres and Chardonnay in the northern quadrant at approximately 350 metres.
Vinificazione
Tenuta Gelso Grande follows a reasoned approach to sustainable viticulture intended to protect the vineyard ecosystem while maintaining regular, high-quality production. Human work is conceived as support for natural processes rather than a substitute for them, with attention given to soil type, the needs of each grape variety, and the balance achieved by the vines during each stage of development.
Soil life and biodiversity
Soil condition is monitored through both insect populations and bioindicator plants. Where deficiencies are observed, plants with detoxifying properties are introduced to help restore balance. Vegetation is encouraged between the rows to moderate soil temperature, retain natural moisture and support biodiversity.
Green manure contributes to natural soil fertility. Earthworms are valued for their role in supplying carbon and supporting the natural formation and fertility of humus. These measures are intended to preserve microbial life and maintain vigorous vines capable of producing sound fruit.
Plant protection and pruning
Herbicides are excluded throughout the vineyards. Preventive treatments are used only when disease appears in the surrounding area. The estate favours gentle or late pruning. Its gentle-pruning approach leaves a relatively high structure, follows the natural flow of sap and limits pruning wounds. Reducing the energy required to heal those wounds is intended to preserve the vine’s vitality and direct its strength toward the grapes.
Vineyard design and harvest
The vineyards are designed to preserve grape freshness and varietal character. Each variety is placed in a specifically chosen part of the vineyard to provide suitable sunlight. Harvesting is manual, with timing adjusted to the ripening cycle of each grape; the overall season runs from early August through the final ten days of September.
Production is organized around preserving the identity and organoleptic character of each native or international variety. The harvest progresses slowly across the season and concludes with the later red grapes in the final ten days of September.
White-wine process
White grapes are softly pressed and fermented at controlled temperature. Chardonnay ferments at approximately 18°C for 10 days; Catarratto ferments at 16–18°C for 10 days; and Grillo ferments at 16–18°C for 10–12 days. These wines mature for three months in stainless-steel tanks on fine lees, followed by approximately one month in bottle.
Red-wine process
The reds undergo traditional red-wine maceration and fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel fermenters. Fermentation is conducted at approximately 24°C, lasting 8–10 days for Syrah and Merlot and about 10 days for Nero d’Avola. Malolactic fermentation is completed. Syrah and Merlot mature for three months in American-oak barriques, while Nero d’Avola receives two months in American-oak barriques. The currently linked Italian technical profiles specify a further six months in bottle.
Rosato process
The rosato is based on Nero d’Avola and Merlot harvested at different moments to respect their distinct ripening cycles. The process includes three to four hours of cold skin maceration, gentle pressing and temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by approximately one month in bottle.
Sparkling-wine process
The native aromatic and semi-aromatic white varieties used for Jolie are vinified separately. Base wines from the same vintage are then blended and undergo a short Martinotti/Charmat process. Fermentation lasts 8–10 days, maturation lasts approximately two to three months, and bottle ageing lasts about one month. The finished style is Extra Dry.
Filosofia
Tenuta Gelso Grande frames quality as a synthesis of Sicilian agricultural tradition, careful contemporary winemaking and respect for nature. Its stated objective is to work in harmony with the vineyard environment, preserving traditional know-how while adapting decisions to soil type, grape variety and the vine’s development.
The estate’s green approach is presented as a change in mentality and working methods rather than a purely technical programme. Sustainable viticulture is intended both to protect the vineyard ecosystem and to help perpetuate winegrowing landscapes under modern economic pressures.
In the vineyard, human intervention is meant to assist natural processes without replacing them. In the cellar, the guiding objective is to retain and emphasize the individual organoleptic character of every grape, whether native or international. The range also serves a broader project of expressing Sicilian wine identity through both varietal wines and selected combinations of indigenous and introduced grapes.