Longarico - Sicily - Red Wine - Insolito 2017 - Sicily

Longarico’s 2017 Insolito is made of 80% Syrah and 20% Nerello Mascalese, from 18-year-old vines planted on clayey, calcareous soil at 550 meters altitude. After a manual harvest in the last week of September, the grapes were destemmed, crushed, and loaded into stainless steel tanks, where they macerated with their skins for six days. Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts, without additions or temperature control. After pressing, the wine was aged for six months on its lees in chestnut barrels. It was then bottled unfiltered and unfined, with 15mg/l of sulfites added at bottling.

Based in Alcamo, the fourth-largest town in the Sicilian province of Trapani, Longarico is a joint project of Luigi Stalteri Longarico, with renowned winemaker Alessandro Viola. Their vineyards are located near the Bosco di Alcamo Nature Reserve, between 350 and 700 metres altitude, and overlook the valley of the River Freddo. Here, they produce a few thousand bottles a year, mainly with indigenous varieties like Catarratto, Nerello Cappuccio and Nerello Mascalese, aiming to highlight the unique terroir of Trapani. Their artisanal vinification methods yield extraordinarily elegant wines.