Feudo Montoni – Sclafani Bagni
Feudo Montoni (www.feudomontoni.it) is one of Sicily’s most historical producers of Nero d’Avola, the estate dates back to the XVI century, when the prized ‘Vrucara’ single-vineyard was first planted in the Contea di Sclafani area (650 mt asl), and the resulting wines immediately prized by Andrea Bacci (the Vatican’s court official sommelier) in his ‘De Naturali Vinorum Historia’.
Ever since the foundation of the estate the Sireci family has been tending vines and reproducing massale cuttings from their own exclusive clone of Nero d’Avola. Completely surrounded by cereals and cattles and therefore thoroughly preserved from genetic contamination, the ‘Vrucara’ clone of Nero d’Avola has developed its own distinct identity over the centuries, to deliver us today a unique, extreme rendition of all-authentic, utterly spicy Nero d’Avola.
At 650 mts altitude, Feudo Montoni stands out as the highest vine-site Sicily-wide for Nero d’Avola: intense sunshine combined with cool nights and sandy-clayey soils rich in limestone and iron make for a perfect terroir where to grow Nero d’Avola. Grapes ripen slower and later but more evenly here.
Harvest time falls around mid October, 2 weeks later than the rest of Sicily, but the synthesis of the aroma precursors is optimal and the resulting Nero d’Avola possess ripeness and depth as well as good acidity and ever-moderate alcohol.
Starting with the 2003 vintage Fuedo Montoni’s Nero d’Avola are fermented with a pied-de-cuve of native yeasts and aged in a mix of all-traditional chestnut wood casks and French oak tonneaux.
The Wines:
Popularity: 12% [?]
