Cusumano

Sicily at altitude. The Insolia vines of Cusumano grow in the hills near Salemi and Monreale – with south-easterly exposure, slow ripening and pure mountain air. No drama, no feat of strength: the high altitude does the work. Hand-picked at the beginning of September, twelve hours of cold maceration at 8°C, gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation at 18–20°C, four months on the fine lees in steel. Straw yellow colour, hawthorn, citrus peel, a hint of exotic fruit – fresh, delicate, with pleasant acidity and a light salty-mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

A Sicilian Merlot with a Mediterranean soul: the grapes for Marena come from the higher, well-ventilated vineyards inland around Presti e Pegni. Merlot thrives there with warm days and cool nights on calcareous soils with an ideal ripening process. Brilliant ruby red in the glass with a purple hue. The aroma opens with flavours of juicy cherry, plum and a hint of herbal spice. Round, juicy and accessible on the palate with well-integrated tannins, mild freshness and a pleasantly dry finish. The ageing in stainless steel tanks preserves the fruit and varietal character. An uncomplicated, yet harmonious Merlot, whose approachable style makes it ideal for pizza, pasta and relaxed everyday moments – sicilian and full of character. SUPERIORE.DE

100% Syrah from the south coast of Sicily, characterised by the warm climate and the limestone-rich soils around Butera. In the glass, the wine is dark ruby in colour with violet reflections. The bouquet is intense and spicy: black cherry, blackberry, some black pepper and fine roasted flavours. Powerful and juicy on the palate, with soft tannins, a mild, well-supporting acidity and a pleasantly spicy final. A versatile, modern red with a clear structure. SUPERIORE.DE

A typical Grillo variety from the western half of Sicily, the grapes come from vines on calcareous soil at medium altitude near Salemi. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. Ripe yellow fruit, some grapefruit, honeydew melon and a hint of salty sea breeze on the nose. The 2024 is clear and juicy on the palate, with well-integrated acidity, a fine extract sweetness, some lime zest and noticeable minerality on the finish. The ageing in stainless steel preserves freshness and purity. A characterful, Mediterranean white wine with restrained elegance – goes perfectly with antipasti, grilled fish or summer vegetable dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

A Nero d'Avola with style and everyday suitability, vinified from vines in the province of Caltanissetta (on Lago di Disueri), where clay and limestone soils and large temperature differences between day and night ensure aromatic depth. Rich ruby red colour with a purple rim in the glass. Aromas of ripe cherries, blueberries, dried herbs and a hint of liquorice. Soft and fruity on the palate, with gentle tannins, lively freshness and good drinkability. The ageing in stainless steel maintains clarity and varietal typicity. A very typical and cleanly vinified Nero d'Avola with a Mediterranean character – ideal with pasta, braised vegetables or grilled meat. SUPERIORE.DE

An exciting Sicilian duo: Angimbé combines Inzolia and Chardonnay to create a white cuvée that combines island flavours with international elegance. The grapes come from Tenuta Ficuzza at an altitude of around 700 metres – a cooler terroir with clay-limestone soils that lend freshness and structure. Pale straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. Yellow pear, pineapple, citrus, some honeydew melon and floral notes on the nose. Juicy, round and balanced on the palate, with mild acidity, fine fruit sweetness and a harmonious, slightly spicy final. A versatile, accessible white wine that accompanies Mediterranean cuisine just as effortlessly as relaxed evenings on the terrace. Very good value. SUPERIORE.DE

This powerful blend of Nero d'Avola and Syrah comes from Tenuta Presti e Pegni in Monreale and impressively demonstrates the versatility of Sicilian winemaking. The vineyards thrive at an altitude of 250 metres in the hills behind Palermo, where loamy soils and the Mediterranean microclimate create ideal conditions for international grape varieties. Just ten kilometres from the coast, the vines benefit from the cooling sea breeze, which moderates the heat of the day and ensures balanced ripening. The name Benuara is derived from a small flower that grows near Syracuse – a poetic reference to the southernmost regions of Sicily.

Here is one of the most beautiful interpretations of the white Carricante grape variety, matured for six months on the fine lees. Alta Mora Bianco comes from vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, where Carricante vines thrive at an altitude of 600 to 900 metres – directly on volcanic rock that is rich in minerals and ash. The cool altitude, combined with intense sunlight and strong day-night fluctuations, characterises this wine with an unmistakable freshness, structure and salty tension. The wine is matured purely in stainless steel in order to bring the purity of the grape variety and the terroir unadulterated into the glass.

The Rosato from the Alta Mora line comes from old Nerello Mascalese vines on slopes between 600 and 800 metres above sea level on the northern flanks of Mount Etna. The barren, volcanic soils, characterised by lava rock and mineral ash, give the wine a tension typical of its origin and a fine, salty depth. The grapes are harvested early and pressed directly to preserve freshness and finesse. The wine is matured exclusively in stainless steel.

700 to 800 metres above sea level, in the Piana degli Albanesi south of Palermo – where Sicily stops being what you expect it to be. Tenuta Ficuzza is located in the heart of an extensive nature reserve, with forests, Mediterranean scrub and vineyards woven into the landscape like a mosaic. Chardonnay has found a home here that makes it reminiscent of Burgundy – without copying it. Jalé comes from the historic single vineyard "del Ventaglio", named after its fan shape. The altitude creates temperature fluctuations that Chardonnay rarely gets on this island: slow ripening, cool fruit, natural tension. Hand-picked at the beginning of August, cold maceration, fermentation in old Liters oak barrels – no new wood to cover up, but silent integration. Six months sur lies, then bottled.

700 is not just a number, but a promise: At an altitude of exactly 700 metres, in the cool Tenuta Ficuzza not far from Palermo, the grapes grow for a Sicilian sparkling wine that tells the story of its terroir in a dazzlingly fine form. The high altitude, calcareous soils and significant day-night fluctuations create ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen perfectly – chardonnay and Pinot Nero – before they are refined in classic bottle fermentation to create an Etna sparkling wine with character. After the first fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine matures on the lees for around 36 months. It is disgorged without dosage, which further emphasises its dry elegance and purist style.

The delicious Salealto consists of Insolia, Zibibbo and Grillo and was matured for approx. 10 months on the fine lees in stainless steel. Deep golden yellow in colour with green reflections. Open nose with hints of beeswax, yellow flowers, acacia, red apple and green pepper. Very refreshing on the palate, low acidity, a fine saline note and wonderful fruit flavours. Herbal spice and expansive fruit with beautiful freshness on the deep finish - be sure to aerate. SUPERIORE.DE

Behind Noà is Cusumano's vision of a Sicilian red wine of international calibre, rooted in the barren highlands of Presti e Pegni near Monreale. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d'Avola thrive on calcareous, stony soils at an altitude of around 300 metres – a place where the heat of the day and the coolness of the night allow a precise interplay of ripeness and freshness. In the glass, Noà is a dark ruby colour with violet hues. The bouquet reveals a complex composition of ripe blackcurrants, sour cherries, blackberries and dried plums, underpinned by notes of espresso, cedar wood, tobacco and dark cocoa. Powerful and structured on the palate with velvety tannins, a supple texture and the characteristic depth that comes from the volcanic terroir and the barrique-aged composition. The final is long, with hints of liquorice, herbs and mineral spice.

Sàgana – a resounding name that describes far more than just a wine. It stands for the essence of Cusumano's work in the heart of Sicily, where the Nero d'Avola grape meets the barren expanse of the Monreale hills. The vines grow on calcareous clay soils in the single vineyard Tenuta San Giacomo, whose high-altitude plots are characterised by hot days and cool nights. This microclimate gives the wine density, freshness and remarkable depth. 2020 was a year of balance in Sicily: a warm spring, a dry but not overheated summer and ideal harvest conditions in September. The grapes were harvested when fully ripe, rigorously selected and matured in barriques for around twelve months after temperature-controlled maceration. A further year of bottle ageing completes the structure and gives the wine its polished nobility.

Feudo di Mezzo is one of the most prestigious contrade on the northern slope of Mount Etna, a place where viticulture and volcanic rock have had a symbiotic relationship for centuries. At an altitude of around 600 metres, old Nerello Mascalese vines take root here in porous, ferrous ash, interspersed with lava boulders and basalt veins – a soil that gives the wine finesse, tension and depth. Alta Mora is Cusumano's ambitious project on Etna, and Feudo di Mezzo epitomises this vision: single-varietal, rigorously selected, with maximum focus on origin and character. The 2019 vintage on Mount Etna was characterised by elegance: a cool spring followed by a long, dry summer with cool nights. The grapes ripened slowly and harmoniously, with fine phenolic ripeness and a balanced acidity structure. After manual harvesting, fermentation took place with gentle maceration, followed by 12 months of maturation in French tonneaux and a long period of rest in the bottle.

Guardiola is a name with weight on Etna. One of the highest and steepest cru sites in Sicily, between 800 and 1,000 metres above sea level, exposed to the harsh sun, cool winds and the contrasts of a volcanic climate, which shapes not only the landscape but also the character of the wine. The vines – predominantly Nerello Mascalese – are deeply rooted in lava rock and volcanic ash, the soil is lean, black and mineralised, a barren terroir that combines strength and elegance rather than playing them off against each other. The vintage brought ideal conditions for a wine with a firm but accessible structure: after a cool spring, the grapes ripened under consistently warm summer sunshine, accompanied by pronounced day-night differences. The grapes were harvest late, by hand, in small crates – a decisive moment for precision and balance. After spontaneous fermentation, the wine was matured in French oak barrels – not to dominate the wine, but to give it contour.

Contrada Arrigo is located on the northern slope of Mount Etna at 610 metres above sea level, facing north-east with a view of the sea. Wine has been grown on this ancient soil since time immemorial. It is rich in organic substances and consists mainly of volcanic sand and lava stones from a volcanic eruption in 1180. Significant temperature fluctuations during the day and night lead to a slow ripening process that preserves freshness and minerality.