Description
Mandrarossa Cartagho Nero d’Avola is intense red in colour with purple reflections. On the nose, it has powerful aromas of blackberries and cherries. On the palate, there are intense flavours of black fruit with hints of dates and maritime pine.
Vineyards for this wine are located in the contrada Torrenova in the Menfi area, on the south-western coast of Sicily. The vines grow on south-west facing hills at 150 metres above sea level, where soils are sandy. Vines are Guyot trained and planted at a density of 4,000–4,200 plants per hectare.
First produced in 1999, the Mandrarossa wines come from a selection of the best sites from Cantine Settesoli’s 6,000 hectares of vineyard, situated in southwestern Sicily and planted with 32 different grape varieties. This range was conceived after the diverse soils of the vineyards were mapped, enabling the winemakers to focus on what were then ranked their best sites. Under the leadership of co-operative president Giuseppe Bursi, consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini has sought to improve viticulture, which in turn has resulted in better wines. Working with soil specialist Pedro Parra and head winemaker Mimmo De Gregorio, Alberto has selected 500 hectares of vineyard for the production of the Mandrarossa wines. These vineyards are situated close to the sea, where intense sunlight, moderating sea breezes, mild temperatures, multiple elevations and a myriad of different soil types combine to give the sort of grapes that Mimmo and Alberto are looking for.
