Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes come from the Zisola estate at Contrada Zisola in Noto, Sicily. The vineyards lie at 130 metres above sea level with a southeast exposure. Their medium-textured soil is predominantly calcareous and mineral. Proximity to the sea provides steady ventilation.
The vines are trained as head-pruned alberello bush vines at a density of 5,550 plants per hectare. Low yields, the calcareous terrain and the site’s maritime influence contribute freshness and longevity. The estate is farmed organically.
Grapes
100% Catarratto. The variety has been cultivated in Sicily since ancient times, and Contrada Zisola was created as part of the estate’s work with native Sicilian grapes.
Vinification
The 2024 crop was hand-picked in two stages, on 28 August and 6 September. Half of the fruit is harvested early and vinified conventionally as a white wine, with time on the fine lees to preserve freshness. The remaining half is picked at optimal maturity and macerates with its skins in cocciopesto for three months. This extended contact extracts refined tannins and gives the wine a structure comparable to that of a red wine. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature of 15°C.
Ageing
The traditionally white-vinified component remains on its fine lees, while the skin-contact component spends three months in cocciopesto. The two separately vinified portions combine freshness with substantial structure and long-term ageing capacity.
Technical data
The 2024 has 12.50% alcohol and total acidity of 6.20‰. It was bottled in July 2025 and scheduled for release in April 2026. Production comprised 9,900 bottles in 750 ml and 1.5 L formats. The first vintage was 2021, and ageing potential exceeds ten years. Contains sulphites.
Tasting profile
Fresh and vertical, with marked but pleasant acidity, low pH, complexity and substantial structure. Skin contact contributes refined tannins, while the early-picked, white-vinified portion preserves freshness. The resulting balance supports considerable longevity.
Vintage notes
The 2024 growing season followed a winter with little rain. A relatively dry, slightly warmer spring advanced the principal stages of vine development. Summer temperatures were above average, with heat waves during the crucial ripening period bringing harvest forward by around ten days. Yields were slightly lower than in preceding years, while the harvested fruit retained strong sugar concentration and good acidity. The estate’s white varieties showed notable freshness.
Label / history
Contrada Zisola debuted with the 2021 vintage. It places Catarratto—a long-established Sicilian white variety—at the centre of a wine conceived to express the estate’s calcareous, sea-influenced site through two-stage harvesting and separate vinification.
