About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The Sauvignon Blanc and Catarratto grow in a small vineyard at 300 metres above sea level.
Vinification
Harvest is delayed until the end of November, allowing the grapes to dry slightly and develop concentrated sugars. Some noble rot (Botrytis) develops on the Sauvignon Blanc, adding further nuances. The two varieties are vinified separately. After pressing and cold settling, the must ferments slowly for up to four weeks in small stainless-steel tanks at a controlled temperature.
Ageing
The wine matures in French oak barrels for 10–11 months.
Tasting profile
Deeply expressive, warm, powerful and broad, with a character intended to convey its Sicilian origins.
Label / history
The name literally means “the sky of Alcamo” and also refers to Cielo, or Ciullo d’Alcamo, the diminutive form of Vincenzo used by a thirteenth-century Italian poet. He lived at the court of Federico II in Palermo and was a leading figure in the Sicilian school of poetry. The wine takes inspiration from his love poem “Rosa fresca aulentissima,” whose opening lines appear on the label. The poem is a lively, dramatic dialogue between a young man and woman of modest backgrounds, written with the direct, rough-edged quality of folk poetry.
Tenuta Rapitalà was founded in 1971 by Count Bernard Hugonis de la Gatinais. Its name derives from an Arabic expression meaning “river of Allah.” The owner restored its cellars and winery after they were almost completely destroyed in the Belice Valley earthquake.
