Planeta Cerasuolo Di Vittoria 2023

This cuvée comes from the Dorilli vineyards, in the Vittoria area, in south-east Sicily, in the province of Ragusa. This territory benefits from the softening influence of the Mediterranean and cooler air from the Hyblaean Mountains. The plots, close to the coast, lie mainly on sandy soils mixed with silt and limestone, particularly suited to the native local grape varieties. The Cerasuolo di Vittoria appellation, Sicily’s first DOCG, expresses here a luminous landscape where viticulture combines southern warmth, sea breezes and night-time coolness, favouring balanced ripeness and lovely vivacity.

The grapes are harvested separately, destemmed and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks for about 14 days. After racking, the wine continues ageing in stainless-steel tanks for six months before bottle ageing.

This wine reveals notes of fresh cherry, wild strawberry and pomegranate, complemented by hints of rose, hibiscus and violet. With aeration, fine touches of black pepper, Mediterranean herbs and liquorice underline its Sicilian identity. The palate offers a supple, juicy texture, carried by fresh, precise acidity. Fine, delicate tannins structure the wine without hardening it, while the savoury, slightly saline finish extends the fruit with elegance.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, home of the Dolce Vita, but how hard it is to understand how its wine is organised! The key to understanding Italy's appellation system is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single uniform one, since each region has its own appellation system. Yet Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavours and styles, as well as bottles full of surprise and creativity. Unfortunately it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most useful and commercially renowned names: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let us talk a little history: winegrowing in Italy goes back to the most distant antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and changed the grape varieties, later calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and some regions already stood out for the excellence of their produce. The Romans also planted many vineyards across Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquests. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a fairly harsh mountain climate. The plain in the "middle of the boot" has a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. The "south of the boot" enjoys a Mediterranean climate with very hot, very dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a great variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of them native to its land. It is a country just as complex as its wines, and well worth exploring!