Description

Description

Almost chalky this unfiltered organic Catarratto has a fresh nose of white grapefruit, apple and a slight spiciness from the lees. Great with pasta, salads or seafood dishes.

Grape

Catarratto is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily in Sicily where it is the most widely planted grape. Catarratto wines are generally fresh with a medium weight, mild acidity and a moderate alcohol level. Typical aromas are citrus fruit and flowers (lemon zest, wild oranges, grapefruit, citrus blossoms with a minerality and salinity on the palate.

Producer

Ciello produce an interesting range of wines on the west coast of Sicily that are produced using a process of minimal intervention. The team at Ciello worked in an organically certified manner, using limited fining agents and undertaking only very basic filtration before bottling. As a result some bottles show a small amount of very fine lees sediment, often giving the wine a cloudy appearance. This lends the wine greater flavour, texture and mouthfeel – attributes that Ciello believe ensure these wines are a true representation of their natural Sicilian terroir.

Region

Sicily is Italy’s southernmost region, and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The island was once most famous for sweet Muscats and later fortified Marsala. Today many of its best-known wines are dry table wines produced under the regional IGT title Terre Siciliane, or the Sicilia DOC. Blessed with consistently bright sunshine and reliably moderate rainfall, Sicily’s classic Mediterranean climate is ideally suited to the production of wine grapes. The warm, dry climate means that mildews and rots are kept to a minimum, particularly in well-ventilated areas that benefit from coastal breezes. This low disease pressure means that chemical sprays are hardly needed, so much Sicilian wine is produced from organic grapes. The key grape varieties used in Sicilian viticulture are a combination of native varieties (those historically cultivated on the island) and newer, more fashionable imports. Nero d’Avola and Catarratto are the most important indigenous varieties.

Food Pairing

Catarratto is a very versatile wine that pairs well with fish and seafood, white meats, grilled vegetables and soft goat cheese.