Baroni di Pianogrillo, Frappato 2022

Fresh, easy to drink and fabulously elegant, the Baroni Di Pianogrillo Frappato is a wine that is a perfect introduction to one of Sicily's indigenous red grapes and reflects the unique personality of the island's terroir. A red wine with an indisputable fragrant personality and a palate as complex as its name...

The Pianogrillo farm is an ancient Sicilian fief, (located between the hamlets of Modica and Chiaramonte) and has belonged to the Piccione di Pianogrillo barons for centuries. Now in the hands of Lorenzo Piccione di Pianogrillo, the last descendent of the family, the estate consists of 80 hectares of organic vineyards, olive groves and municipal farming land. Everything on the farm is executed under the overarching goal of safeguarding nature and respecting the natural environment; this includes taking care of a rare breed of Sicilian pig, the Nero Ibleo, which still breeds in the wild, and raising workhorses to help in the vineyards. Of the 80 hectares, sixty are planted with olive trees, with seven hectares of vineyard, and fifteen hectares are left as woodland. With such biodiversity all around, it is no wonder that the quality of the wines produced are just excellent, intense and full of indelible Sicilian passion.

Sourcing grapes from vineyards cultivated with certified organic systems, this is a red wine made from Frappato vines planted on calcareous and clay soils facing south at 480 metres above sea level. The dramatic differences in temperature between day and night gives the grapes the best potential to fully ripen whilst maintaining their acidity. The grapes are selected and harvested by hand and, once they reach the winery, they are de-stemmed, pressed and fermented on the skins for several days. The wine is then transferred to massive 22-hectolitre oak barrels where it will remain for at least 12 months before bottling.

Frappato is a red grape variety indigenous to Sicily, with only 2,000 acres grown worldwide and most of it entirely on the island itself! A rare grape indeed! As a varietal, Frappato produces light to medium bodied wines with fine tannins and bright, aromatic flavours of strawberry, violet, white pepper and sweet spice. Frappato is the perfect wine for all seasons - it can be served slightly chilled for our warmer months (or weeks...), while it also marries very well with robust flavours such as tomato-based sauces, rich stews, ossobucco and spice driven foods, making it perfect for our autumnal and winter weather too.

With an inviting bright ruby red colour, the wine gives intense aromas of strawberries and raspberries, with floral, fruity balsamic notes. On the palate, the texture of this balanced red wine is wonderfully silky and mid-weight (despite alcohol of 12.5%), with a long finish that is minerally and pure, thanks to the clay-dominated soils. Delicious.