2024 Gurrieri, Frappato, Terre Siciliane IGT, Sicily, Italy.
The Gurrieri Frappato was all new to me and I really enjoyed this bright and fresh, lighter framed version of this grape, from organic vines in the non volcanic Vittoria area of Sicily, it shines ruby in the glass and is especially good with a slight chill, giving loads of strawberry, tart cherry, crushed raspberry and peachy fruits. The 2024 vintage is vibrant and crisply dry with just 12.5% natural alcohol, and the wine shows off hints of chalky stone, delicate florals and snappy herbal notes, plus a touch of raw earthiness with soft tannins and juicy acidity that make it nice with a variety of cuisine choices. This clean example of Frappato was raised exclusively in stainless steel vat and saw a gentle maceration, with temperature control and daily punch-downs and about 15 days on the skins before maturing in tank for 6 months. The wine, which saw an additional 3 months in bottle before release, is easily quaffable and certainly needs no further aging to be enjoyed, drink this over the next year or so.
I’m a big fan of Frappato and especially those wines made by the Occhipinti family, either the COS or Arianna’s bottlings being my go to, so it was fun to try a new producer, which is also in the Vittoria area of the Island. This Gurrieri version, an IGT Terre Sicianne, comes from vines in the Fegotto, Chiramonte Gulfi and Cicogne districts in the Comiso area, which is why it isn’t a single DOC wine. This part of Sicily is set on sandy soils with some clay over ancient limestone, with these vines set up at about 300 plus meters above seas level, which allows a cooling influence with a big day to night time temperature swing, making for nicely ripe, but balanced fruit, as seen here in this fresh and lively Frappato. The vines are all organically farmed and the environment here is treated to sustainable methods, again which are the legacy of the Occhipintis and their success in promoting native varietals and the local terroir. Gurrieri has been all organic certified and the wines, some of which are full DOC labeled are all well crafted and definitely worth looking for, with the Nero d’Avola also being a delicious effort.
($28 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive