A Nero d'Avola-dominant blend, with about 25% Nerello Mascalese, grown in relatively high-elevation corner of central Sicily, the visually stunning, though relatively remote hilltop enclave of Gagliano Castelferrato, with Niccolò’s young vineyards hovering around 650 meters above sea level. Spontaneous fermentations and aging are both undertaken in concrete vats, with macerations extending almost about two months beyond the completion of alcoholic fermentations – a process more often seen when vinifying Nebbiolo in Piemonte. Once the wine was drawn off, it remained on the fine lees with continuous batonnage until June, after which it was bottled. ‘Le Domeniche di Teo’ (named for Niccolò’s vineyard dog, Teo, and the Sundays they spend together) walks a tightrope between concentrated, ripe fruit and a disciplined frame of structured minerality. Wet-stone and rose aromas blend with notes of crushed cherries, wild thyme and rosemary, and elderberries on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine, slightly, tight tannins, it begins floral, but slowly becomes more mineral and complex, as a sturdy core of red fruit grounds the palate throughout. Bark, chicory root, and dried herbs come through on the savory side of things. Exceptionally layered, this is a beautiful bottle that both reflects its Sicilian terroir and Niccolò’s skill at imbuing his wines with personality, charm, and just enough edge to know you’re tasting something new, inspired. 3000 bottles produced. Drink now, better after 2025.
Niccolo Grippaldi is a pretty philosophical guy, both in the technical and literal senses. Having studied philosophy at university in Florence, a chance meeting with the owners of a Chianti cantina, Castello dei Rampolla in Panzano, saw Niccolò fall headlong into the world of wine, eventually returning to his homeland in the province of Enna, a relatively remote corner of central Sicily. Having had the entirety of the region’s vineyards decimated by the scourge of phylloxera throughout the tail of the 19th century, Niccolò truly found himself at square one, planting a minuscule 2.60 hectare vineyard of his own (the only vineyard in the region) in the spring of 2015 – half of it to Nero d’Avola, the remaining half to Nerello Mascalese. A certified trailblazer in the region – and not even 40 years old – Niccolò adheres strictly to biodynamic principles in his farming, crafting his own biodynamic preparations and guiding all vineyard and cellar work via the cycles of the moon. This is definitely one to watch.