Occhipinti 'SP68' Terre Siciliane IGT Rosso 2023

Arianna Occhipinti has been a trailblazer in Sicilian natural winemaking. 21 years old when she released her first vintage in 2004, she has since gained a cult following in the biodynamic movement. Arianna started becoming involved with wine at the young age of 16 in her uncle Giusto Occhipinti's cellar – one of the proprietors of Vittoria's most famous winery, COS. After studying oenology in Milan, she returned to Sicily to "unlearn" the technical ways she had been taught to "construct" a wine, instead growing grapes and making wine from the ground up. She tends 25 hectares of vineyards near Vittoria, in southeastern Sicily, and has built her reputation on frappato, an often overlooked grape. Her vineyards are certified organic and practicing biodynamic and feature only native Sicilian varietals. There is zero irrigation in her vineyards in this hot, windy climate. Cover crops including fava beans and other useful plants grow between every other row. Her SP68 wines are named for the main road nearby, which also happens to be the most ancient wine route in existence. The 2023 SP68 Rosso is a blend of 70% frappato and 30% nero d’Avola grown on red sand over limestone rock. After a two week maceration in concrete tanks with pump overs and gentle punchdowns, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. A lovely entry into Occhipinti’s signature style, this is beautifully aromatic with layers of roses, violets, ripe strawberries, raspberries, and cracked white pepper. A medium bodied palate offers pure sweet wild berry flavors accented with gentle citrus and herbal notes, all underpinned with lively acidity. The end result is an easy going elegance at home with any number of culinary pairings. Organically grown, biodynamically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.