Nero d’Avola gives this wine a red passion color, hints of ripe fruit and an intense and harmonious taste. Immediate and direct but not trivial, it differs in the altitude at which its grapes are grown, which allows for a fresher wine, with delicate tannins and easy to drink style. Aromas of baked plum, black cherry and black tea. Medium-to full-bodied with chalky tannins. Pleasantly ripe and juicy on the palate. Nice balance here, with a tasty finish. From organically grown grapes.
This single vineyard wine is an elegant expression of Sicily’s most important grape, Nero d’Avola.
Alto Reale is sourced from a single high altitude vineyard on a 12 acre parcel of Rapitalà’s 500+ acres estate. The vineyard lies between at a high elevation of 1,300 to 1,700 feet and is planted to 10 year old cordon-spur trained Nero d’Avola vines. The terrain is dry and steep forcing the vines to dig deep into the barren soil. This high-altitude location sees significant diurnal changes in temperature, allowing for greater aromatic complexity and the development of a strong acidic backbone in the final wine.
Made with organic grapes. Fruit is hand harvested and brought to the cellars in small crates to avoid disturbing the ripe grapes. The grapes are cooled at the winery right at the foot of the vineyards. The must is macerated and vinified with pump-overs in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Following racking the young wine is transferred into third use or older French oak barriques where it will rest for five months before another racking and an additional 7 months in larger 50 hl oak barrels. The goal is a slow and delicate aging that stabilizes tannins and polyphenols.