Duca di Salaparuta
Passo Mule Nero d'Avola
The Duca di Salaparuta Group, gathered together by the Reina family, consists of three historic wine brands (Duca di Salaparuta, Corvo, and Florio) and today constitutes the largest private wine group in Sicily. Duca di Salaparuta was founded in 1824 and has been a leader in Siclian wine and innovation. In the 1800s, the wine in Sicily was big and powerful. The Duke of Salaparuta, Giuseppe Alliata, decided to produce a delicate and elegant wine from the grapes of his own estate. With the third generation of winemakers, Duke Enrico followed in his family’s footsteps and his studies were the basis for what is currently their most iconic product, Duca Enrico, whose first vintage was bottled in 1984 — a revolution in Sicilian wine history.
Duca di Salaparuta makes wine across three different Estates: Vajasindi Estate, Suor Marchesa Estate, and Risignolo Estate. The Vajasindi Estate in northeastern Sicily is 21 hectares of land located on the northern volcanic slopes of Mount Etna and divided into two terraces sitting at 700 meters and 620 meters above sea level. The Suor Marchesa Estate in the Riesi area in central, southern Sicily sits on a gentle hill with wind exposure where the summers are very hot and the winters mild and short. With 127 hectares of vineyards it was chosen for its southern exposure, excellent ventilation and sunlight, and limestone soil composition. The Risignolo Estate located in western Sicily in Salemi is 35 hectares of vineyards set in the sunny countryside chosen for its proximity to the sea and hillside position sitting between 300 and 350 meters above sea level. With mixed land, the climate is temperate, but with broad temperature differences. Duca di Salaparuta is truly a style icon choosing quality and naturalness created through a vigor for innovation and a bond with the terroir.
Tasting Notes
Deep, intense ruby red. Pervasive, fruity bouquet of Morello cherries and raspberries, complex with well-balanced scents of spices and vanilla. Rich, full and velvety, full-bodied and persistent, with typical austere but pleasant tannin.
Cultivation
Harvested by hand the second half of September. Vineyards are trained on vertical shoot positioning with a density of 5,290 plants per hectare.
Vinification
Traditional de-stemming and maceration for 8 days at 28-30°C. Part of the cuvee spends 10 months in very fine-grained oak wood casks, and part ages in stainless steel tanks.
Aging
After bottling, the wine spends 6 to 8 months in the bottle before release.
Press
2021:
91 points - Antonio Galloni
90 points - James Suckling
2020:
92 points - Decanter
APPELLATION
DOC Sicilia
VARIETAL
100% Nero d'Avola
ABV
13.5%
ALTITUDE
290-340 meters
SOIL
Mixed calcareous-silice soil
PHILOSOPHY
Sustainable