About this wine
Style and grapes
Aestas Siciliae is COS’s sweet white passito made from Moscato Bianco. It has historically been produced only intermittently: the 2011 harvest became the third edition, following releases from 1994 and 1998, and was offered for sale in 2013. The wine now appears in the estate’s portfolio without a stated vintage.
Vineyard and terroir
For the 2011 edition, the fruit came from plots near Noto. The vines had an average age of five years and were planted at 5,000 vines per hectare in clay-, sand- and limestone-based soil over ferruginous limestone. The reported yield was 23 hl/ha.
Vinification and ageing
The 2011 was made entirely from Moscato. Maceration took place in glazed cement tanks, followed by 12 months of maturation in the same type of vessel. Average alcohol was 14.5%, with total sulphur reported at 60 mg/l.
Tasting profile
Despite the concentration expected of passito from a warm Mediterranean setting, the 2011 retained striking freshness and tasted less overtly sweet than anticipated. Its powerful fruit recalled dried currants, while the wine remained fine and digestible.
Serving
The recommended serving temperature for the 2011 edition was 8–10°C.
