Mortellito Frappato Rosso Niuru 2024
In stock
Grape Varietal: Frappato, Nero d'Avola
Country: Italy
Region: Sicily (Val di Noto, Terre Siciliane)
The Wine: Mortellito is the project of Dario Serrentino, who farmed 15 hectares of organic vineyards in the Val di Noto — southeast Sicily, a few kilometers from the Ionian coast — before beginning to vinify under his own label in 2014. He grows Frappato on guyot and Nero d'Avola in traditional alberello (bush vine) on limestone soils, with no chemical interventions in the vineyard and minimal sulfur at bottling.
Cala Nìuru ("black grapes" in Sicilian) is 75% Frappato and 25% Nero d'Avola, fermented over 15 to 20 days with short skin contact, and aged six months in stainless steel. The 2024 Cala Nìuru is a light, coastal expression of Sicilian red that drinks far outside the island's sunbaked stereotype. It opens with aromas of pomegranate, crushed raspberry, and dried violets, lifted by a thread of ash and sea air. On the palate, it is lithe and saline, with bright red fruit, low tannin, and a clean, salt-dusted finish that makes it as easy to reach for as a white.
Pairing: Grilled whole fish with capers and lemon, arancini (baked rice balls) with peas and pecorino, a plate of cured tuna with olive oil and bread, or an outdoor table in August with whatever is coming off a charcoal grill as the sun goes down.
