2021 Canicatti, Bianco “1934” Tributo to Luigi Pirandello, Sicilia Bianco DOC, Sicily.
This lovely golden hued white from CVA Canicatti is a blend of 50% Grillo, a native varietal, and 50%, Chardonnay, which makes for a textural and rich wine on the palate, but with a sense of mineral and a unique flavor profile with some spice and tropical dimension. Mature citrus, apricot and pineapple fruits lead the way here and are accented by hints of flint, wet stone, brioche, clove and bitter almond. There’s still good lively acidity and salinity that makes you want another sip and it is very enjoyable, best to pair it with food, especially fleshy seafood, and or soft farm style cheeses. The CVA Canicatti cooperative has made on to Slow Wine and promotes harmony with nature and makes their wines in a clean, mostly stainless steel crafted style, as seen here, with the grapes being fermented and raised in cool vats and matured on the lees.
Canicattì is a town and comune or municipality in the Province of Agrigento on the island of Sicily, located about 56 miles southeast of Palermo and about 21 miles east of Agrigento, quite remote and rustic in nature. It’s a spot where you find the old ways and life as it is in the island part of the island, not much changes here. The CVA Canicattì, a regional co-op was founded in 1969 in the wake of the Sicilian peasant movement, an era post war where everyone was given a chance to succeed on their own, moving away from a feudal society. They say that from its early beginnings, the project has been supported by the strong belief of numerous local farmers, in history, traditional cultural values of local viticulture and the resulting wines. Since the mid-2000s, their production philosophy has focused on enological excellence, going for sustainable and organic expressions of the place, which has led to a big rise in quality and attention from the outside world. This Grillo and Chardonnay Sicilia Bianco DOC, which saw about 8 months of aging in tank and then bottle conditioning was new discovery for me and is just another reason to visit Sicily!
($20 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive