Occhipinti | Sicily | “SM” Santa Margherita Vino di Contrada IGT Sicilia Bianco | 2022 | 750ml | bio

Description

Product description for Occhipinti “SM” Santa Margherita Vino di Contrada IGT Sicilia Bianco 2022 (bio)The white Vino di Contrada Santa Margherita is the latest addition to the winery’s portfolio. It is the fulfillment of a long-held dream of Arianna Occhipinti, who, after a long search, discovered this vineyard in 2016 at the foot of the Iblei Mountains in the ancient village of Chiaramonte Gulfi. The vineyard is located at an altitude of 490 meters amidst pine forests, oak trees, and centuries-old olive trees and is divided into four plots planted on sandy white limestone marl and sandy soils with yellowish-white calcareous rock – marine sediments dating back to the Pleistocene. The Costa Sud and Costa Nord plots are planted in the Sicilian single-vine system (Albarello) and, thanks to their gypsum-rich soils, provide a saline twist. The Terrazza and Trefile plots are planted on limestone trellises in the Albarello area and provide fresh acidity. The wine is made from 100% Grillo, the white grape variety from the west, which in recent decades has also become popular in the east of the island under the name Riddu. Occhipinti sees the grape variety as a means to an end and a tool to reflect its origins. After a brief 48-hour maceration, the must ferments spontaneously in concrete and oval Austrian oak barrels, where it then matures for 12 months.

Colour

Bright old gold with a satiny opacity.

Nose

The 2022 Grillo Vino di Contrada Santa Margherita by Arianna Occhipinti presents itself calmly on the nose with the typical characteristics of a low-intervention wine: little sulphur and, associated with this, the almost complete absence of primary fruit or other ornamentation. Instead, it speaks with a firm voice of its origins, of citrus fruits, orange blossoms, cedar lemon zest, and pink grapefruit. The whole is spicy, underscored by notes of linseed oil and distinctly herbal notes of sage, laurel, wild maquis, and pine needles, along with a hint of honeycomb.

Palate

Tidy, straightforward, and clear, this Grillo emancipates itself from the host of Sicilian smile-inducing wines and reveals itself as a flawless terroir translator. Like an infusion, it has a calm and balanced feel on the palate, with accompanying tannins stimulatingly tart, and notes of chamomile and aromatic herbs that connect to the rich extract of the wine in the finish, creating a closed aromatic arc across the palate. The saline minerality fuels the delicate citrus acidity, which also delivers a clean performance in terms of accelerating drinking.

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Keywords: Occhipinti “SM” Santa Margherita Vino di Contrada IGT Sicilia Bianco 2022 bio Sicily Italy

Producer website: http://www.agricolaocchipinti.it/en/