‘Raphael’

Rosato | Sicilia - Italy

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About

Raphael is known as the “patron saint of travelers and ‘happy meetings’.” There are not many wines more fitting to drink while one travels nor to share in happy meetings than a chilled glass of rosé. It is a wine meant to be shared with good company and sharing in the great times that spring and summer so often bring. It is known that Italian rosés (read rosato) are often heavy handed and dark in color. This strays from that summation and brings a touch of the Côte d’Azur to Sicily. The varietal make-up of this wine changes every vintage, but it always remains in the same quaffable style. The 2024 vintage is 90% Zibibbo from Castellammare and 10% Syrah from Salemi at almost 1000 feet above sea level. It was a very hot summer with no rain, leading to good quality and healthy grapes, though a smaller harvest than normal.

The grapes were all handpicked and brought back to the cellar for immediate pressing. They were soft pressed at 15C° then the two musts were blended. Static sedimentation occured at 5C° before fermentation was launched with innoculated yeasts in stainless steel tanks at 15C° for approximately 20 days. After fining, filtration, and a sulfur addition, the wine was bottled.

Stats

Grapes: 90% Zibibbo-10% Syrah
Vineyard: Castellammare (Zibibbo) and Salemi (Syrah)
Vine Age: Average: 20-years-old
Soil Type: Varied: Primarily brown clay and limestone
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Fermentation: Inoculated – stainless-steel
Skin Contact: 2 hours
Aging: 3 months in stainless-steel
Alcohol: 12.88%
Residual Sugar: 3.48 g/L
pH: 3.32
Total Acidity: 5.95 g/L
Total SO2: 120 ppm
Total Production: 1,000 cases
UPC: 8009720641250

Tasting Note

Pale pink in the glass, with red berries, flowers, and a peppery kick on the nose. Juicy and round on the palate, with firm acid and a clean, steady finish. Summer in a bottle.

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2024

‘Raphael’

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