“Contrada SM Santa Margherita” Grillo Sicilia DOC 2023 (BIO)

Occhipinti | Sicily
Az. Agr. Arianna Occhipinti | Via dei Mille 55 | IT 97019 Vittoria

19210223 · 0,75 l · 64,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

Some wines are born from a dream. Arianna Occhipinti, who has long since become an icon of Sicilian natural wine, spent years searching for that one vineyard that could translate the limestone soul of the Monti Iblei into liquid. In 2016, she found it: a forgotten piece of land at the foot of Chiaramonte Gulfi, 490 metres above sea level, nestled between pine forests, gnarled oaks and ancient olive groves. The soil tells the story of the earth. Sandy, calcareous marl alternates with yellowish-white calcarenite – marine sediments from the Pleistocene, evidence of a sea that has long since disappeared. Four parcels with their own identity: Costa Sud and Costa Nord, grown in traditional single vines, give the wine its salty signature; Terrazza and Trefile, planted as Alberello on limestone, provide the vibrant freshness. The Grillo – native to western Sicily, known here in the east as "Riddu" – ferments spontaneously in concrete and Austrian oak, maturing for twelve months in the same containers.

What flows into the glass combines Sicilian opulence with a minerality reminiscent of Chablis. Cedro lemon and orange blossom, pine needle and wild sage, with iodine and flint underneath. The texture: silky yet taut like a bowstring, carried by an acidity that weaves seamlessly through the viscous centre. final: salty, almondy, infinitely long – a terroir that lingers like an echo from the depths of time. SUPERIORE.DE

"This Grillo, from a single Contrada – santa Margerita in Chiaramonte Gulfi at 500 metres above sea level – radiates energy and brightness, with a delicious backbone of saltiness that supports baked apple, apricot skin and wild herbs." Decanter

"The 2023 Bianco Santa Margherita opens in the glass with a hint of raw ginger, dusty dried flowers and a touch of citrus spice. It feels round, with a hint of salty minerality up front that contrasts nicely with the ripe fruit. Perfumed and exceptionally long, the 2023 finishes with a lovely tension, leaving a hint of young kiwi that slowly fades. The chalky soils of Santa Margherita come into their own in this elegant Grillo." Vinous

"Focused, showing lemon-leaf aromas, cedar and assertive chalky minerality. Medium- to full-bodied, with crisp, slightly lifted acidity. Long, vibrant and savory finish." James Suckling