About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The vines are on the island of Pantelleria, a satellite island of Sicily. They are 45 years old and grow on volcanic and sandy terraces, farmed organically and biodynamically.
Grapes
An unusual blend of red Pignatello and white Catarratto.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed. Fermentation takes place in open Spanish terracotta amphorae, 400 years old and holding 600 L, buried in volcanic tuff. The wine stays in the same amphorae on the grape skins for 7 months.
Ageing
After 7 months in amphora on the skins, the wine is bottled without added sulfur and without filtration. It then matures in bottle for a further 2–3 months.
Tasting profile
Remarkably fresh, with an expressive aroma and a complex, mineral palate.
Label / history
Pantelleria has contributed to Sicily's reputation for sweet wines for many centuries. In legend, the goddess Tanit seduced Apollo, on Venus's advice, by serving him Muscat wine from the island. The island's wine was barely known beyond Pantelleria for almost 2000 years after the myth spread, and was not exported even to Italy until the 1880s. It gained an official place in the modern Italian wine system in August 1971.
