Rallo Azienda Agricola, AV01 Catarratto Orange, IGP Terre Sicilia, Italy, 2021

Producer Profile

The Vesco family make fragrant wines, organically grown in a certified organic agriculture.

They represent the best and most typical style of winemaking in western Sicily: crisp Catarratto and perfumed, fresh Nero d'Avola from their hillside vineyards. Cantine Rallo have vineyards in three sites in western Sicily: Alcamo for Catarratto and Nero d'Avola; Marsala for Grillo and Pantelleria for the Zibbibo that makes their delicious Passito di Pantelleria. Their grapes tend to be picked earlier in the year than many of their neighbours which produces their customary bright, fresh style of wine.

Viticulture

The Cataratto grapes for the AV01 are grown in sandy soils in Patti Piccolo- Alcamo. Vertical trellis system training with low guyot pruning. Night harvested when the grapes are cool.

Winemaking

Soft pressing of the whole grape, the must is fermented in 50hl acacia barrels, with a 24 hour maceration of the grapes and must followed by a second soft pressing. Temperature is controlled at 16 to 20°C for 14 days followed by malolactic fermentation then matured in stainless steel for 6 months before bottling.

Oak Ageing

Time: 3 days for the first fermentation
Type: Acacia
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

This is a naturally fermented, unfined, unfiltered, no added sulphur 'orange' wine. Bright straw yellow in colour. The nose is reminiscent of citrus fruit, apple, pear, lychee and elderberry. Enriched with elegant tannin due to the production method, this is fresh, fragrant and elegant.

Food Matching

Best served lightly chilld to around 14°C with Sicilian pasta asciutta/ bolognaise or pane e panelle (chickpea fritters)