VINOUS.COM – Sicily Report 2024

The Sallier de la Tour winery has been owned by the Counts Tasca since 2009, making it the fifth company that complements and characterises the diversity and professionalism of what is probably Sicily's most famous winery.

Countless lush roses from all over the world grow on the Regaleali estate. This fragrant rosato is a tribute to the roses of Regaleali. Brilliant colour, fruity aroma of strawberries, cherries and mulberries, rich and spicy flavour, fresh, with a certain minerality and a pleasant sapidity. SUPERIORE.DE

Nero d'Avola and Syrah from the hills around Monreale, aged briefly in steel and oak barrels. Young vines, freshness on the palate, red cherry, hints of thyme, myrtle and menthol. Juicy and tasty on the palate, with a fruity, oily finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The country dance (controdanza) is a typical dance in which man and woman face each other and unite in graceful movements - depending on their gender, the dancers interpret the music in their own way. This wine is exactly the same: Nero d'Aola and Merlot - opposites attract and, with the right sensitivity, can harmonise and contrast wonderfully.

Cerasuolo di Vittoria - an established local red with a great tradition and just as much character. Typical aroma of the wines from Vittoria: Aromas of red berries, cherries, prickly pear, ginger and fruit sweets. Flavoursome, extremely complex, fresh, lively and yet balanced. SUPERIORE.DE

A zesty white wine with energetic, maritime flavours of citrus, lime and oyster shell. Focussed and long on the palate. The Grillo grape is a cross between Moscato and Catarratto, which explains the variety of aromatic sweetness and mineral finesse. SUPERIORE.DE

Tasca's Perricone is bright ruby in colour, with hints of red berries, blackberries, cherries and spices, tasting fresh and lively. A fine minerality and a hint of nuts on the final, very long and complex on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

Buonsenso (common sense) is already visually impressive with its bright straw yellow colour. Attractive bouquet of wild flowers, mint, peach and green melon. The palate is refreshed by a great acid wire, rounded off by citrus and peach notes with a subtle hint of saltiness. SUPERIORE.DE

Ruby red colour, appealing, slightly reductive aroma of ripe blackberries and elderberries, quite dense on the palate, certain fruit sweetness, good harmony between juicy acidity and velvety tannins, elegant finish with traces of cassis. SUPERIORE.DE

Vibrant, radiant colour, rich in green-golden reflections. The rich fragrance of this Moscato d'Allessandria (Zibibbo) is floral of white roses and acacia, followed by mineral notes, peach and orange blossom, to finish with candied citrus fruits and a hint of honey. On the palate, the olfactory impressions of mineral origin and the fresh structure are confirmed, savoury and enveloping. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright ruby red colour. Fresh and fragrant of violets and rose petals. Fresh, aromatic berry fruit on the palate, very supple tannins, with a lot of fruit and grace on the finish. Very racy and cheerful at the same time. SUPERIORE.DE

Etna Rosso comes from the Torreguarino and Pietramarina vineyards on Etna. Bright, sparkling ruby red colour with a transparent core. Fine spicy notes, pepper and small red berries on the nose, notes of ripe raspberries on the palate. Dense, with lots of fruit and compact tannins. Elegant, yet fresh and racy and very authentic. SUPERIORE.DE

Fresh, bright ruby colour. The Syrah impresses with its intense and ripe bouquet with hints of figs, redcurrants, preserved cherries, blueberries, spices and vanilla. Velvety, elegant tannins accompany the opulent and lively structure through to the lingering final. SUPERIORE.DE

Donnafugata's impressive declaration of love to Etna, currently the hottest wine hotspot, began with the Sul Vulcano line. Light ruby red in colour, with a bouquet of wild strawberry and delicate hints of black cherry, cinnamon and nutmeg. The corresponding, fresh flavour and subtle elegance lead to a harmonious and energetic finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Donnafugata's impressive declaration of love to Etna, currently the hottest wine hotspot, began with the Sul Vulcano line. Carricante is one of the most exciting grape varieties in southern Italy, capable of complexity and terroir-driven expression in the right soils. The vines for Donnafugata's only white wine from Etna grow on volcanic soils rich in minerals at an altitude of 700-750 metres. The wine is fermented in steel tanks before maturing partly in concrete tanks and partly in second and third choice barriques for 10 months and then a further nine months in the bottle.

Etna Rosato from Pietradolce not only attracts attention with its delicate, shiny colour. The delicate bouquet of roses is beguiling and the precise flavour convinces with lively aromas of peach, cranberry and grapefruit. Elegant mineral tones accompany the fresh finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Giuseppe Russo produces just 5,000 bottles of this extremely elegant rosato every year. Fine, complex aromas of red fruit and mineral stone on the youthfully fresh nose. The energetic and very precise impressions on the palate correspond beautifully with the flavour. Delicate melting, fine minerality, harmonious and long. SUPERIORE.DE

Etna Bianco is smoky in the glass and excites the senses with a burst of crushed rock and raw almonds before fading into a citrus-influenced peach. It is pleasantly soft and enveloping, with weighty textures supported by lively acidity. Mineral fruits and sweet spices meet on the palate. Finishes remarkably fresh yet grippy and long, leaving the mouth wanting more. The complexity of this wine is unrivalled for an entry-level Etna Bianco. SUPERIORE.DE

The small, museum-like island of Mozia in the Marsala lagoon is a production site of unrivalled uniqueness. It is a marine ecosystem that has always been linked to the vineyard. The English, who came to Marsala at the beginning of the 19th century and recognised its great potential, initiated the first planting. The vines are cultivated naturally using the Gobelet system with natural irrigation. The grapes are harvested in crates, brought to the mainland in flat-bottomed boats and then transported to the Regaleali winery in air-conditioned lorries to guarantee their aromatic integrity.

Pietradolce Rosso is reminiscent of an elegant red from Burgundy. Sparkling, intense garnet red colour. Light, aromatic tones of cherry, raspberry, slate, cigar tobacco and cedar wood, medium-bodied and very energetic on the palate, flavoursome fruit, salty, balanced and long. Be sure to aerate! SUPERIORE.DE

Wonderful, deep aroma of dark wild cherries, crushed raspberries, pomegranate, roses and peppery herbs. Dense but not heavy on the palate, long and pure with multi-layered subtle fruit flavours. Salty minerals and violet blossom emerge on the finish, along with nuanced tannins that create a classically dry feel on the elegant finish. This wine is already an absolute pleasure to drink, and although it tastes great now, it will continue to refine in the bottle for several years. A sensual and enjoyable wine, 60 per cent Nero d'Avola from oak barrels and 40 per cent Frappato matured in a vitrified cement vat. SUPERIORE.DE

The Carjcanti from our own vineyards in Chiaramonte Gulfi deserves a round of applause. Yellow in colour with green reflections. The bouquet is reminiscent of apple, pineapple, brown butter and cinnamon, rounded off by flint and smoke. Taut on the palate with the mineral acidity typical of Carricante, followed by orchard fruits and herbal notes. Very fresh, aromatic and long with exciting ageing potential. A wonderful Carricante from south-east Sicily. SUPERIORE.DE

One of the most exciting Etna Rosso with a balsamic, spicy bouquet and a balanced, yet very characterful, juicy, long flavour. Fine fruit, good acidity, firm tannin, beautiful length. Perfectly reflects the terroir. 90% Nerello Mascalese / 10% Nerello Cappuccio. SUPERIORE.DE