Occhipinti Fossa di Lupo 'FL' Frappato 2019
One of three single-vineyard wines from Arianna Occhipinti, the 2019 Frappato Vino di Contrada FL shows sweet cherry, grilled rosemary and lingering tones of iron ore or rusty nail. This vineyard has red and dark brown soils with lots of stones. Those ferrous notes come though, and the wine closes with a clean, lean-bodied texture. Production for this organic and biodynamic wine is 2,200 bottles. Drink 2023-2028. 93 Points. Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate.
"Another historical contrada and backbone of my work since 2004. The soils are sandy with shades that go from red to chestnut brown and with a substantial presence of limestone rocks on the surface. After the first 40 cm of sand, we arrive at a layer of solid, hard limestone. The vines were planted in albarello: the typical training system with planting distances traditional of the Vittoria area. This contrada faces the Hyblaean Mountains at northeast; from here the wines typically originate as fruity but also austere, presenting great acidity."
And the grape? Frappato, our long historical variety of Vittoria, to which I am particularly attached to since the beginning of my path, can present itself as delicate, austere, and bloody. In any case, I would like Frappato to be considered as an instrument available to transmit the terroir, and not the sole purpose. Only what we tread, smell, perceive around us every day, goes straight into the wines."