Planeta Santa Cecilia 2021

The Santa Cecilia cuvée comes from Planeta's Buonivini estate, in the Noto area of south-eastern Sicily. The vines are planted in a historic wine area close to the Mediterranean, where intense light, sea breezes and temperature swings encourage slow, full ripening of the grapes. The limestone and clay soils of this part of the province of Syracuse bring freshness and structure. This warm, luminous landscape, shaped by Mediterranean vegetation, is a terroir particularly well suited to Nero d'Avola, the island's emblematic grape variety.

The grapes are harvested, then destemmed and crushed. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, with around twenty days of skin maceration. The wine is then aged for fourteen months in French oak barrels.

This wine reveals notes of black cherry, ripe plum and blackberry, alongside hints of violet, liquorice, black pepper and tobacco. Its Mediterranean expression also evokes carob, aromatic herbs and a subtle touch of toasted oak. The palate is broad and velvety, carried by a dense body, fine yet present tannins and balanced acidity that keeps the wine lively. The long, flavoursome finish extends the fruity, spicy and balsamic accents.

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!