Occhipinti

The Cuvée SP68 from Frappato and Nero d'Avola is fresh, dynamic, individual and modern. Generous aromas, solidly structured and endowed with mild tannin. SUPERIORE.DE

"Deep red. Perfumed aromas and flavors of violet, minerals and spicy dark plums. Very juicy and fresh in the mouth, with noteworthy salinity on the long suave finish." Vinous

Occhipintis Bianco, pressed from equal parts of Moscato and Albanello, exudes the scent of peaches and flowers and offers a delicious and persistent taste with fine fruit aromas. SUPERIORE.DE

Muscular Nero d'Avola, deep dark red, rich in extracts and powerful with the aromas of dried fruits, raspberries and black currants. A Sicilian who enchants us with great personality and beguiling finesse for a long time. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling ruby, very clear. Opened with distinctly earthy notes of beetroot, some plum and cherry. Very juicy on the palate, dancing lightly over the tongue, juicy and finely meshed tannin." Falstaff

"Deep red. Juicy aromas and flavors of red berries, medicinal herbs, licorice and earth tones. Long and lively on the juicy, vibrant back end." Vinous

"Spotlighting Sicily's most important red grape, the 2016 Nero d'Avola Siccagno offers a beautiful balsam note that transcends all that dark fruit at the core. I came back to this bottle a few hours after I had opened it, and my positive impressions were strongly reinforced. That pretty balsamic character is in line with young Nero d'Avola. Perhaps in less-refined expressions of the grape it comes off clumsily and unbalanced. Instead, this wine has harnessed the most elegant side of the grape with rosemary essence and caper flower." Robert Parker

This Frappato comes from the single vineyard Fossa di Lupo from which also the fruit of the Grotte Alte comes. This is a historical site (contrada) which Arianna Occhipinti has managed since 2004. The topsoil is sandy with mineral deposits that colour it partly red, partly brown. After 40 centimeters, you come across pure limestone. The Frappato there is in Albarello education - typical for Vittoria. The vineyard is situated at the Monti Iblei, the Hybläischen mountains in the southeast of Sicily. Around 2,600 bottles were produced.

"Transparent medium cherry red. What a wonderful, typical and yet undreamt-of intense frappato opening! The young wine still appears slightly yeasty at the beginning. In addition, there are many violet flowers such as violets and irises, but also roses, which lie like a fine perfume over the glass. Finally there are nutty notes and black cherries as well as wild berries and a little tobacco. All this is absolutely transparent and clear, fine and fresh, yet complex and powerful. On the second day, the FL takes itself more back, but the elegance and the subliminal power can also be guessed at then. Red wines outside Burgundy are rarely so fine and transparent. Balanced between a slightly acidic red fruit and a fine spicy perfume on the one hand, and a dry but ripe, precise tannin and fresh, lively acidity on the other, the Frappato appears floating and light, yet is tied to the soil and the calcareous soil from which it originates. This lime provides vitality and a strength that you only notice in the second moment. Then it becomes clear that the FL surprises with a wonderful depth and complexity, which stands out like a second face behind the juvenile light-hearted character and confidently dares to move forward in the future. This Sicilian belongs on the big stage." Christoph Raffelt (original corked.de)

"Dried strawberries, tar, rose petals, red licorice, cedar and redcurrants make for a very fresh and beguiling red. Medium-bodied with lovely density on the center palate and wonderful verve and definition." James Suckling

"The 2016 Frappato Vino di Contrada FL (from the Contrada Fossa di Lupo) shows a slightly richer fiber and looser texture than the other two contrada-specific wines that are now part of Arianna Occhipinti's portfolio. The Contrada Fossa di Lupo provides much of the fruit used across the Occhipinti line. It has sandy limestone veins of red and dark brown clay. The wine brings out red fruit flavors with some plum and blackberry mixed in there as well. There are faint tones of exotic spice that appear only after the Frappato has had time to unpack in the glass. This wine is perhaps the most immediately open of the three. Only 2,700 bottles were made." Robert Parker

This frappato comes from the single vineyard Bombolieri, which is not far from the Serra San Bartolo. The topsoil is sandy and clayey and about 25 centimetres deep. Then you find bare limestone. The stone, as well as the surface, alternates between walnut brown and white. Around 2,600 bottles were produced.

"Transparent dark cherry red. Of the three Contradas, the BB has the strongest fragrance. There is only a light, violet floral scent here, and a restrained yeast tone is added. The Frappato is reminiscent of sour cherries and also of cherry stones, autumn leaves and some dark tobacco. Here the fragrance already hints at a quite firm tannin. At the same time the Frappato remains fragrant and ethereal. On the palate, the BB shows the wonderful balance of lightness and powerful juiciness, strength and a masculine tannin. The wine is clearly the tightest and darkest of the three single vineyard Frappato. But like the Frappato of the Arianna Occhipinti, it flows crystal clear over the palate. All the quiet power and the earthy-dark aromas form the backbone behind the cool, fresh, transparent and sour cherry style. The wine shines in dark beauty." Christoph Raffelt (original corked.de)

"From the Contrada Bombolieri, the 2016 Frappato Vino di Contrada BB appears to be the darkest and most saturated in this set of three Frappato-based wines. This vineyard is set high on a promontory with white limestone soils. The expression is open and accessible like the others, yet this wine adds an additional layer of earth or potting soil on top of the bright red and black fruit you get on the nose. This one also appears to have extra layering and textural richness. All that fruit is capped by fresh acidity that plays a big role, making this wine a nice pairing partner to creamy fettuccine. An exclusive 2,400 bottles were produced." Robert Parker

This Frappato comes from the historical single location Pettineo which lies beyond the Serra San Bartolo. The topsoil is sandy with a depth of 50 to 60 centimetres. Then you find limestone. Originally the now 60 year old Frappato stood there in Albarello education, then the previous owner raised them in wire frames, where they grew very tall. Around 2,600 bottles were produced.

"Transparent dark cherry red. In contrast to the other two Cotradas, the PT is currently the most fruity. Sweet cherries, sour cherries and plums are accompanied by sweet yeast dough and light tobacco. Nevertheless, the wine is by no means sweet or overripe, but consistently fine and elegant. Also the etheric, which one also finds in the other two Contradas, is present here. The Vino di Contrada PT is highly present from the very first moment. There is a lot of juiciness in the game and also a pleasant pressure on the palate. Like the other two Frappatos, the PT is extremely elegant and transparent, almost cool and crystal clear like a white wine, but then again equipped with a silky and distinctive tannin. When Sicilian wines are spoken of almost Burgundian elegance, we are actually always talking about Nerello Mascalese at Etna. If you have this frappato in the glass, Sicilian elegance can be redefined with pleasure. Here it meets a sour cherry fruitiness and the already mentioned impressive clarity and precision." Christoph Raffelt (original corked.de)

"The 2016 Frappato Vino di Contrada PT (with fruit from the Contrada Pettineo) is one tone lower in color intensity compared to the BB. This wine is similar to the FL in terms of accessibility and the very silky and delicate nature of its fruit. Arianna Occhipinti has achieved a beautiful thing for our collective understanding of the Frappato grape by fermenting these contrada-specific wines. Pettineo has sandy soils, and the alberello vines (later converted to trellis) are 60 years old. She's definitely onto something, because you do get a better grasp of the grape's range. This expression shows bright freshness, forest berry, wild rose and a touch of sweet almond. Some 2,700 bottles were produced." Robert Parker

"Here’s a beautiful, Sicilian red, which shows dried peppers, ash, hot stones, orange peel, glazed red cherries and dried red plums. Full-bodied and very suave, it trades in super sharp acidity and clear-cut tannins. Very long and bright on the finish. Marvelously taut and intense." James Suckling

Poet and typical Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Frappato and Nero d'Avola. Deep dark purple red, fine bouquet of berries and herbs, blown around by a hint of coffee, on the palate full of fruit and with depth, soft and long. SUPERIORE.DE

"This unique Sicilian red has a very complex, maturing nose with a whole garden’s worth of dried herbs, plus dried cherries, candied oranges and wet earth. At once rich and deep, dry and clean, this has great energy and vitality for five years of age and the finish doesn’t want to stop." James Suckling

"Bright dark red. Red cherry, sweet pipe tobacco and perfumed herbs on the enticing nose. Velvety, round and graceful in the mouth, with a very refined quality to the red cherry, candied violet and herbal flavors. A very pretty wine from seamless start to seamless finish. Arguably Occhipinti’s best red ever at a similar stage of development." Vinous

Poet and typical Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Frappato and Nero d'Avola. Deep dark purple red, fine bouquet of berries and herbs, blown around by a hint of coffee, on the palate full of fruit and with depth, soft and long. SUPERIORE.DE

"Glowing, brightening ruby garnet. Very intense, appealing nose, smells of ripe blackberries and plums, also raspberry, in addition some flintstone. Salty and juicy on the palate, shows a lot of crunchy fruit, fine-meshed tannin, great drinking flow." Falstaff

"Bright dark red. Spicy and floral nuances complicate the lemon, red cherry and red berry aromas and flavors. Tar and licorice add complexity, as does a floral note on the long, juicy earthy finish." Vinous

"A more earthy and cooler-climate cabernet with blue fruits, floras in the violet zone, licorice and attractive spicy oak. The palate delivers handy mid-palate depth with ripe, even tannins and a neat dark cherry-pip, plum-stone finish." James Suckling

"Made with Nero d’Avola and Frappato in equal parts, this is a mature, alluring and sultry wine. The 2014 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Grotte Alte is released now after having acquired extended bottle aging since the harvest four years ago. Like the monovarietal Nero d'Avola also reviewed here, this wine offers an evident balsamic character with medicinal herb, licorice and cola. I am delighted by the integrity of the bouquet in a wine that had evidently embraced its evolutionary trajectory with gusto." Robert Parker

This Frappato comes from the single vineyard Fossa di Lupo from which also the fruit of the Grotte Alte comes. This is a historical site (contrada) which Arianna Occhipinti has managed since 2004. The topsoil is sandy with mineral deposits that colour it partly red, partly brown. After 40 centimeters, you come across pure limestone. The Frappato there is in Albarello education - typical for Vittoria. The vineyard is situated at the Monti Iblei, the Hybläischen mountains in the southeast of Sicily. Around 2,600 bottles were produced.

"Transparent medium cherry red. What a wonderful, typical and yet undreamt-of intense frappato opening! The young wine still appears slightly yeasty at the beginning. In addition, there are many violet flowers such as violets and irises, but also roses, which lie like a fine perfume over the glass. Finally there are nutty notes and black cherries as well as wild berries and a little tobacco. All this is absolutely transparent and clear, fine and fresh, yet complex and powerful. On the second day, the FL takes itself more back, but the elegance and the subliminal power can also be guessed at then. Red wines outside Burgundy are rarely so fine and transparent. Balanced between a slightly acidic red fruit and a fine spicy perfume on the one hand, and a dry but ripe, precise tannin and fresh, lively acidity on the other, the Frappato appears floating and light, yet is tied to the soil and the calcareous soil from which it originates. This lime provides vitality and a strength that you only notice in the second moment. Then it becomes clear that the FL surprises with a wonderful depth and complexity, which stands out like a second face behind the juvenile light-hearted character and confidently dares to move forward in the future. This Sicilian belongs on the big stage." Christoph Raffelt (original corked.de)

"Dried strawberries, tar, rose petals, red licorice, cedar and redcurrants make for a very fresh and beguiling red. Medium-bodied with lovely density on the center palate and wonderful verve and definition." James Suckling

"The 2016 Frappato Vino di Contrada FL (from the Contrada Fossa di Lupo) shows a slightly richer fiber and looser texture than the other two contrada-specific wines that are now part of Arianna Occhipinti's portfolio. The Contrada Fossa di Lupo provides much of the fruit used across the Occhipinti line. It has sandy limestone veins of red and dark brown clay. The wine brings out red fruit flavors with some plum and blackberry mixed in there as well. There are faint tones of exotic spice that appear only after the Frappato has had time to unpack in the glass. This wine is perhaps the most immediately open of the three. Only 2,700 bottles were made." Robert Parker

This Frappato comes from the historical single location Pettineo which lies beyond the Serra San Bartolo. The topsoil is sandy with a depth of 50 to 60 centimetres. Then you find limestone. Originally the now 60 year old Frappato stood there in Albarello education, then the previous owner raised them in wire frames, where they grew very tall. Around 2,600 bottles were produced.

"Transparent dark cherry red. In contrast to the other two Cotradas, the PT is currently the most fruity. Sweet cherries, sour cherries and plums are accompanied by sweet yeast dough and light tobacco. Nevertheless, the wine is by no means sweet or overripe, but consistently fine and elegant. Also the etheric, which one also finds in the other two Contradas, is present here. The Vino di Contrada PT is highly present from the very first moment. There is a lot of juiciness in the game and also a pleasant pressure on the palate. Like the other two Frappatos, the PT is extremely elegant and transparent, almost cool and crystal clear like a white wine, but then again equipped with a silky and distinctive tannin. When Sicilian wines are spoken of almost Burgundian elegance, we are actually always talking about Nerello Mascalese at Etna. If you have this frappato in the glass, Sicilian elegance can be redefined with pleasure. Here it meets a sour cherry fruitiness and the already mentioned impressive clarity and precision." Christoph Raffelt (original corked.de)

"The 2016 Frappato Vino di Contrada PT (with fruit from the Contrada Pettineo) is one tone lower in color intensity compared to the BB. This wine is similar to the FL in terms of accessibility and the very silky and delicate nature of its fruit. Arianna Occhipinti has achieved a beautiful thing for our collective understanding of the Frappato grape by fermenting these contrada-specific wines. Pettineo has sandy soils, and the alberello vines (later converted to trellis) are 60 years old. She's definitely onto something, because you do get a better grasp of the grape's range. This expression shows bright freshness, forest berry, wild rose and a touch of sweet almond. Some 2,700 bottles were produced." Robert Parker

"Here’s a beautiful, Sicilian red, which shows dried peppers, ash, hot stones, orange peel, glazed red cherries and dried red plums. Full-bodied and very suave, it trades in super sharp acidity and clear-cut tannins. Very long and bright on the finish. Marvelously taut and intense." James Suckling

This frappato comes from the single vineyard Bombolieri, which is not far from the Serra San Bartolo. The topsoil is sandy and clayey and about 25 centimetres deep. Then you find bare limestone. The stone, as well as the surface, alternates between walnut brown and white. Around 2,600 bottles were produced.

"Transparent dark cherry red. Of the three Contradas, the BB has the strongest fragrance. There is only a light, violet floral scent here, and a restrained yeast tone is added. The Frappato is reminiscent of sour cherries and also of cherry stones, autumn leaves and some dark tobacco. Here the fragrance already hints at a quite firm tannin. At the same time the Frappato remains fragrant and ethereal. On the palate, the BB shows the wonderful balance of lightness and powerful juiciness, strength and a masculine tannin. The wine is clearly the tightest and darkest of the three single vineyard Frappato. But like the Frappato of the Arianna Occhipinti, it flows crystal clear over the palate. All the quiet power and the earthy-dark aromas form the backbone behind the cool, fresh, transparent and sour cherry style. The wine shines in dark beauty." Christoph Raffelt (original corked.de)

"From the Contrada Bombolieri, the 2016 Frappato Vino di Contrada BB appears to be the darkest and most saturated in this set of three Frappato-based wines. This vineyard is set high on a promontory with white limestone soils. The expression is open and accessible like the others, yet this wine adds an additional layer of earth or potting soil on top of the bright red and black fruit you get on the nose. This one also appears to have extra layering and textural richness. All that fruit is capped by fresh acidity that plays a big role, making this wine a nice pairing partner to creamy fettuccine. An exclusive 2,400 bottles were produced." Robert Parker

Poet and typical Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Frappato and Nero d'Avola. Deep dark purple red, fine bouquet of berries and herbs, blown around by a hint of coffee, on the palate full of fruit and with depth, soft and long. SUPERIORE.DE

"This unique Sicilian red has a very complex, maturing nose with a whole garden’s worth of dried herbs, plus dried cherries, candied oranges and wet earth. At once rich and deep, dry and clean, this has great energy and vitality for five years of age and the finish doesn’t want to stop." James Suckling

"Bright dark red. Red cherry, sweet pipe tobacco and perfumed herbs on the enticing nose. Velvety, round and graceful in the mouth, with a very refined quality to the red cherry, candied violet and herbal flavors. A very pretty wine from seamless start to seamless finish. Arguably Occhipinti’s best red ever at a similar stage of development." Vinous