About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
Santa Cecilia comes from selected parcels in the Zuppardo and Agliastro vineyards at Noto, in southeastern Sicily. The vineyards lie at 35–40 metres above sea level on fine-textured lime-marl soils containing numerous small components and pale fragments of chalk.
The vines are trained on an espalier with spurred-cordon pruning. Cultivation follows organic-agriculture criteria and SOStain protocols. Cover crops of beans, vetch and wildflowers increase organic matter and nitrogen while supporting the soil’s microfauna. Vineyard protection uses very small quantities of sulphur and copper, beneficial insects, mating disruption, and natural treatments including zeolite, kaolin and plant extracts.
Grapes
100% Nero d’Avola. The variety’s historical connection to the white soils and old vineyards around Noto led to the selection of this territory for Santa Cecilia.
Tasting profile
The aromatic profile moves between balsamic, herbal, fruit and spice notes. Mediterranean scrub and seaweed evoke the Sicilian coast, followed by sour cherry preserved in spirit, very ripe blackberry, bergamot and bitter orange. Carob flour and incense provide the spicy dimension.
On the palate, ripe fruit and oak-derived tannins accompany a dense yet open and measured tannic texture. The wine combines elegance, power and balance with a complex, distinctive structure.
Label / history
First produced in 1997, Santa Cecilia is the estate’s top Nero d’Avola and takes its name from the Planeta di Santa Cecilia family. It was conceived after research into the most suitable Sicilian territory for expressing the variety, leading to Noto and its Noto D.O.C. denomination.