One of the kick-off events for ViniMilo 2024 – the municipality’s annual celebration of its wines and regional artisanal products – was a detailed tasting of Etna Bianco Superiore wines. One of the star facilitators at that event was AIS Sicilia Sommelier Federica Milazzo – the 2022 Best Sommelier of Sicily. At the conclusion of the event, I congratulated her on her performance and she extended an invitation for a tasting visit at her place of employment, Gambino Winery.
Brandon and I showed up at the winery’s tasting room on the following day. As we traversed the elongated driveway, Brandon explained that the winery focused on enotourism as a market-facing strategy, a point that was emphasized by the large passenger bus parked therein.
The tasting room was a well-appointed, tastefully decorated, open-plan environment with significant visibility of, and access to, the outside. This was a Napa-quality tasting room and, probably, the most impressive one I had encountered on my many visits to the island. On the other hand, I was a little concerned about what we would see in terms of wine quality. Did this focus on aesthetics detract in any way from delivery of quality wines?
After some delay, we were connected with Federica and she proceeded to lead us on a journey into the world of Gambino wines.
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| Federica getting us settled in |
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| Brandon checking on the stock market |
The winery traces its history back to Vittorio Raciti who, in 1978, formed the initial estate by combining several plots of land belonging to different owners. A variety of crops were grown at this time, with wine grapes restricted to 1 ha (two terraces of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio).
In 2002, Victorio descendants – Maria Grazia, Filadelfo, and Francesco Reciti Gambino – along with their mother, Maria Gambino, “renewed the business and modernized the wine production process.” In 2012 they hired a new agronomist and a new wine-maker and made the decision to expand the structures on the property in order to support an enotourism strategy.
Today the winery controls 25 ha between Mt. Etna and the Caltnissetta area of central Sicily. The central Sicily property is planted to Grillo, Cabernet, and Nero d’ Avola. The Mt. Etna vineyards are located at elevations ranging between 850 and 900 meters and are planted to Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, Catarratto, and some Minella. Olive trees and forests take up the remainder of the space.
The vineyards are protected from the elements by the nearby mountains and are bathed in a constant breeze which aid the health of the grapes. The soils are volcanic, mineral-rich, very sandy, and poor in organic material. Vineyards are organically farmed and managed to a low yield per plant in order to achieve balance, the hallmark of quality wines.
Federica poured a 2018 Spumante during the early part of our conversation. The estate has been producing this wine style since 2013. The 2018 vintage is 100% Nerello Mascalese and spent 25 months on its lees.
Gambino Mt. Etna still wines are bottled under the Tifeo (bianco, rosé, and rosso) and Petto Dragone (rosso) labels. Tifeo, in Greek mythology, was "the son of Gaia (mother Earth) and Tartarus … was a giant … who participated… in one of the many fights against Zeus.”
Grapes for the Tifeo white wines are planted 5200 vines/ha and have yields of 6,000 to 7,500 kilos/ha.
The 2023 growing season experienced very high temperatures. Grapes were handpicked and de-stemmed prior to fermentation with selected yeast in stainless steel tanks.The wines spent 7 to 9 months on the lees and 3 months in bottle prior to release on the market. The wine has aromas of sweet white fruit and herbs. On the palate, salinity, minerality, and spice. Persistence.
The 2021 was elegant, with salinity and a herbaceousness on the nose. Balance. One of the best wines I had tasted on the trip to date. All elements in place and delivered simultaneously.
Petrol and herbs for the 2017 while, like the 2021, the 2018 exhibited elegance. Savory on the nose with aromas of walnut, minerality, and mint. Lime, salinity, and minerality on the palate. Brighter than the previous wines.
The Tifeo Rosé wine is made from Nerello Mascalese grapes grown under similar vineyard conditions as for the grapes used in the white wine. The grapes spend 4.5 hours in a cool room prior to a soft pressing (some of the grapes are de-stemmed, some are whole-bunch-pressed). The must is then fermented in stainless steel vessels. Fermentation and aging are similar to the process utilized in white wine production.
The 2023 had a perfumed strawberry nose along with minerality and salinity. Rich and medium-bodied with strawberry flavor, stone fruit, and orange zest. The 2019 was pleasant, with an overarching savoriness.
Gambino red wines are bottled under the Tifeo and Petto Dragone labels. The Petto Dragone label is named after the home contrada and is aged in large oak barrels.
We tasted the 2020 and 2018 Tifeo. The 2020 showed red fruit, beeswax, mahagony, petrol, mint, and spice on the nose. Focused and high-toned on the palate. This wine was aged in 25% new oak and 25% tonneaux.
The 2018 was fermented in stainless steel with cap management to include delestage and pumpovers. Post-malolactic fermentation, the wine spent 1 year each in French oak, vats, and bottle, This wine exhibited a higher degree of oak on the nose than did the 2020.
The 2020 Petto Dragone showed great balance. The 2017 was broad-based. Sweet red fruit. Concentrated, with power and intensity.
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The quality of the Gambino surroundings is mirrored in the quality of its wines. The white is leaner and less sapid than its counterparts on the eastern slope but, that being said, it drinks superbly. I was especially impressed with the 2021 edition of the bianco.
