Grillodoro Botrytis cinerea Passito
Grape/Blend: 100% Grillo – affected by Botrytis Cinerea from a vineyard of about 30 years, whose density is 3,200 vines per hectare, with a production of about 2 tons. The soil is flat, composed of a medium-textured limestone substrate mainly sandy, and the training and pruning system is single Guyot. The harvest is done manually, picking only the most suitable berries, and it happens between October and November.
Wine-making Process: After a soft pressing of the grapes, fermentation process takes place at a controlled temperature, in small stainless-steel tanks. The wine ages in new French oak barrels on the lees, for 2 years and 1 further year aging in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: Golden, bright color, with light amber hues. Delicate bouquet, with floral hints of orange blossom and jasmine, saffron, and a final honeyed touch. On the palate it is crystal clear, harmonious, pleasant, with aromas of honey and tropical fruit, with a long persistence
In the vineyard overlooking the Mediterranean sea, in an area historically suited for Grillo grape, we make an extraordinary wine, unique in the Sicilian wine making scene: Grillodoro.
Heritage of the winery since the beginning, and the result of a fortuitous discovery in the vineyard of the estate closest to the sea, Grillodoro is a dessert wine resulting from a late harvest of overripe grapes, attacked by Botrytis Cinerea, also known as Noble rot.
Botrytis is a fungus that attacks the skin and the berries and causes profound changes in the composition of the future must. Its action dehydrates overripe grapes and feeds on sugars, thus concentrating their aromas and giving the wine unique aromas. Not all varieties nor all areas under vines are suitable for the production of botrytized wines; for the phenomenon to happen grapes with a thicker and more consistent skin are the most suited. Also, territories characterized by alternating humidity, followed by ventilation and dry heat are required, unique and often unrepeatable environmental conditions. The Noble rot wines thus obtained have a never cloying sugar content, distinctive aromatic profiles, and a longevity and an aging ability of several years before being appreciated.
Thus the highly symbolic name of Grillodoro (Golden Grillo), that recalls the gold of the Sicilian sun bottled for a few and refined connoisseurs, a real rarity like some of the greatest and most famous natural sweet wines in the world.