About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The Serra Ferdinandea vineyard is surrounded by woodland and overlooks the stretch of sea where Ferdinandea Island rose from the water for a few days in 1831. It lies at 400–450 metres above sea level on the western edge of the Sicani Mountains, between Sciacca and Sambuca di Sicilia; the vines themselves are planted at 411 metres. Archaeological finds appear to suggest that vines in this area have some of the oldest roots in the Mediterranean, perhaps the very oldest.
The landscape was formed by the breakdown and transformation of limestone. The topsoil is dark and rich in organic matter, with deep layers of limestone below, mixed with stones and sand, silt and clay. The land is virgin and had not been ploughed for centuries. Mediterranean and mountain environments meet here in a complex ecosystem of agriculture, plants and wildlife, where microbial life has never been disturbed. The grapes are grown organically, following the SOStain protocol. Soils, altitude and growing methods are intended to give the wine pronounced minerality and freshness.
Grapes
The blend combines Grillo, described as the most aromatic of Sicily's grape varieties, with Sauvignon Blanc.
Vinification
Sauvignon Blanc was harvested on 30–31 August and Grillo on 25–28 September 2021. The grapes are picked by hand into containers and chilled overnight to 12 °C. The next morning the berries are hand-selected on a sorting table and sent whole to the press for gentle pressing. The must spends two weeks cold settling in stainless-steel tanks, stirred daily. Fermentation then takes place in tonneaux and barriques (15%), stainless-steel tanks (25%) and oak casks (60%).
Ageing
The wine is aged for 9 months in oak: 50% in casks of 35 and 25 hl and 50% in 5 hl tonneaux.
Label / history
Serra Ferdinandea is one of two projects in Planeta's Ab Insula collection, the other being Castello Solicchiata. Ab Insula means "from the island". Serra Ferdinandea grew from a shared vision of two families, Planeta from Sicily and Oddos from France, and is meant to renew the Sicilian-French connection in winemaking. The first vintage of the Bianco was released in 2019. The wine is organic.
