Porta del Vento 'Catarratto' 2020

100% Catarratto

Sicily, Italy

Winemaker Marco Sferlazzo

Marco's vineyards were originally owned and tended by a large corporation who decided to pull up aging indigenous  Perricone and Catarratto vines to plant French high-yield varieties. Marco found this loss of culture and biodiversity distasteful and decided to purchase the vines himself and convert all the vineyards to organic and biodynamic agriculture.

The tiny, Porta del Vento winery sits 2000 feet above Palermo, near the village of Camporeale, an area of Sicily where nature can be very harsh. At nearly 600m elevation, on incredibly steep slopes, this area is known for constant, brutal winds, blowing through the vineyards. These ever-present winds, along with the large diurnal temperature range (the temp difference between day and night), allow for wines of great concentration, character, low alcohol and racy acidity. 

The Catarrato is extremely territorial and broad: orange blossom, wildflowers, chamomile, wild herbs, citrus zest and a bit of salty minerality. On the palate, it is very fresh, medium bodied and well structured.