Pianogrillo Frappato Terre Siciliane 2024

It's funny how most people think Sicilian wine means Mount Etna and its volcanic fire. Well, this Frappato comes from the opposite end of the island: the ancient, gentle Hyblaean Mountains. This mountain range, where the village of Ragusa is located, are old, tamed slopes of white limestone and marl, formed when the African and European plates pushed this seabed up. 

The vineyards sit at 480 meters, where days are hot and nights are cool, keeping the grapes' ripening process slow but steady. This Frappato is fermented in stainless steel and aged partly in massive 25-hectoliter oak casks, and partly in stainless steel. It smells like a basket of just-washed strawberries and crushed cherries. It's also very rosey and white-peppery. It’s light and juicy enough to drink with a straw, but it has a sneaky, structured grip (thanks, limestone!) that certifies it as a serious red.