History
Family links with Vittoria
Vittoria belonged to the Planeta family’s agricultural geography before Dorilli became an estate. The family recalls grandparents debating whether better wine was made in Vittoria or Menfi, while the succeeding generation learned the scent of Cerasuolo di Vittoria from childhood. This familiarity encouraged the family to cross Sicily’s southern coast and establish production in the denomination’s homeland.
1997: creation of the estate
Dorilli was established in 1997 around a large farmhouse standing at the heart of an old fief. The surviving complex had a Liberty architectural character, but its vineyards had disappeared long before the project began. The estate’s creation therefore involved replanting Nero d’Avola and Frappato, reconstructing the farmhouse, recovering the cellar and restoring extensive rooms for hospitality. The first hectares of the two varieties were planted in Vittoria that year specifically for Cerasuolo di Vittoria.
2001–2005: first wine and completion of the restoration
The first Cerasuolo di Vittoria vintage from Dorilli and Mogli was produced in 2001. Restoration of Dorilli’s buildings and cellar was completed in 2004. In 2005, Cerasuolo di Vittoria obtained DOCG status, then the only Sicilian denomination at that level.
2009–2013: estate selections
The first vintage of the Dorilli Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico selection was 2009. Its name connects both wine and estate to the nearby Dirillo River. The first Frappato from the Mogli vineyard followed with the 2013 vintage.
Organic conversion
The conversion period to organic farming in Vittoria was completed in 2020. Dorilli and Mogli are now cultivated organically and under the SOStain® protocol.
Recent harvests
The 2023 harvest in Vittoria was dry and quantitatively small. Production fell by approximately 20–25%, but the grapes arrived healthy and quality was assessed as above average, with aromatic Frappato and fruit-forward Nero d’Avola.
In 2024, low autumn and winter rainfall, a water deficit and a relatively cool summer reduced vine activity, flowering and bunch compactness. The southeast harvested about seven days earlier than usual and produced roughly 20% less fruit; the Frappato was particularly aromatic.
A cool summer benefited Vittoria in 2025. The grapes were healthy, balanced, ripe and fresh, and the Frappato showed abundant red-fruit nuances.
Terroir
Dorilli lies in the countryside of Acate, in the Vittoria area of southeastern Sicily, between the sea, the plateau and the Monti Iblei. The vineyards are close to the sea and interwoven with Mediterranean macchia. Summers are marked by very high temperatures and very low rainfall.
The defining feature is a sandy soil texture. Dorilli and Mogli lie on fine, light, loose red sands containing small fragments of coarse material. The soils are moderately deep. At approximately 90 cm, a tuffaceous layer increases water-holding capacity and helps regulate the vines’ water balance—a significant feature in this dry environment.
The vineyard elevations range from 70 to 80 m above sea level: Mogli is at 70 m, while Dorilli is at 80 m. These red sands are associated with the aromatic identity of Cerasuolo di Vittoria. The denomination’s name evokes cerasa, the Sicilian word for cherry.
Winemaking
Dorilli and Mogli are cultivated according to organic-agriculture criteria and the SOStain® sustainability protocol. Vittoria completed its organic-conversion period in 2020.
The inter-rows are covered with fava bean, vetch and spontaneous flora. These covers increase soil organic matter and nitrogen, encourage the activity of soil microfauna and reduce erosion. Vetch also produces biomass, fixes nitrogen and suppresses water-demanding summer weeds such as wild mallow and thistles, which occur in the Vittoria–Acate area.
Plant-health treatments use only small quantities of sulphur and copper. Pest management combines beneficial insects, mating disruption and natural strengthening materials, including kaolin, zeolite and plant extracts; the Frappato specifications identify kaolin and plant extracts, while specifications covering both estate varieties also include zeolite.
Vineyard materials are selected for recyclability and ecological compatibility under SOStain principles. A soil-biodiversity assessment for Vittoria improved from QBS-ar 80 and quality class 4 in 2016 to QBS-ar 101 and quality class 5 in 2017.
Harvest practice depends on the intended lot. Grapes for the Dorilli estate selection and the single-vineyard Frappato are picked by hand, while the broader Cerasuolo di Vittoria lot combines hand and machine harvesting. Fruit is transferred to the cellar in small trolleys.
The estate’s original cellar was recovered during the reconstruction of Dorilli and was fully restored by 2004. It processes Nero d’Avola and Frappato from the Dorilli and Mogli vineyards.
Red-wine production begins with crushing and destemming, followed by fermentation in stainless-steel tanks. Depending on the lot, tank capacities include 100, 114, 150 and 170 hl. Fermentations last seven to eight days. Early temperatures are held at approximately 12–15 °C; refrigeration is then stopped and the final phase proceeds at 24–25 °C.
The cap is worked three times daily through short pump-overs lasting approximately 10–25 minutes, adjusted to the fermentation stage to limit damage to the skins and fruit. Post-fermentation skin contact ranges from 10 to 18 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place in the same stainless-steel tanks and generally finishes between December and January.
Maturation depends on the selection. Fruit-led lots remain in 114–170 hl stainless-steel tanks. The longer-aged estate selection matures for 12 months in 26 and 36 hl oak casks, with the final maturation specification centered on 36 hl casks.
Philosophy
Dorilli expresses the Planeta family’s territory-by-territory approach: each Sicilian area is interpreted through its own varieties, vineyards, cellar and cultural context. In Vittoria, this means concentrating on Nero d’Avola and Frappato and on the relationship between those varieties, the dry climate and the red sandy soils.
The agricultural model treats sustainability as continual improvement rather than a completed objective. Its stated principles combine ecological attention, economic durability and social fairness. Agriculture is conceived not merely as avoiding damage but as coexisting with the surrounding environment, using low-intervention practices where possible and supporting soil life, biodiversity, landscape and local traditions.
Tradition and technical precision are treated as complementary. Native varieties and the historical identity of Cerasuolo di Vittoria remain central, while organic farming, measured sustainability protocols and carefully controlled cellar work provide the technical framework. Alessio Planeta summarizes the wider responsibility as conducting both enterprise and civic life with awareness, respect for nature and consideration for its inhabitants.