Viviri Grillo Sicilia DOC (2022)

About this wine

This Sicilian white is made from 100 percent Grillo and shows a pale straw to light golden color with green highlights. The nose offers vivid aromas of lemon, grapefruit and other citrus, alongside white peach and hints of Mediterranean herbs and flowers. On the palate it is medium bodied yet lively, with ripe white pulp fruit flavors wrapped around a core of bright acidity. The vineyards lie on hillside sites at roughly 900 to 1300 feet above sea level, which helps the wine keep its freshness and gives a marked salty and mineral edge to the finish. Grapes are picked in mid August slightly before full ripeness, then fermented and aged in temperature controlled stainless steel to preserve pure fruit and crisp texture. The result is a sunny, expressive Grillo that feels rounded and smooth in the mouth while remaining clean, savory and very refreshing.

About the grape

Grillo is a relatively young Sicilian variety, created in the 19th century as a deliberate crossing of Catarratto Bianco and the aromatic Zibibbo by Baron Antonio Mendola near Favara in western Sicily. First prized as a key component for Marsala in the Trapani area, it proved well suited to the islands heat thanks to its thick skins, high natural acidity, and good sugar accumulation, and it later spread into many denominations including Sicilia DOC for dry white wines. At Tenuta Rapitala the variety is grown on estate slopes between roughly 900 and 1300 feet above sea level in clay rich soils mixed with pebbles and sand, conditions that help preserve freshness and structure in the warm inland climate. The estate trains Grillo on the traditional Guyot system and harvests slightly early in mid August, then ferments it in temperature controlled stainless steel to capture the grape’s varietal character in a pure form.

Quick facts

• 😄 Viviri is a word from the Sicilian dialect that can mean live or drink and the name was chosen to capture the lively character of this Grillo in the glass
• 🧬 The Grillo grape in this wine is the result of a natural crossing between Catarratto and Moscato d Alessandria discovered through DNA studies which explains its mix of zesty citrus and aromatic floral notes
• 🏰 Tenuta Rapitala was reborn after the 1968 Belice Valley earthquake when a French naval officer count and his Palermo born wife rebuilt the ruined estate and created a new Franco Sicilian style that this Grillo continues today
• 🌙 The name Rapitala comes from an old Arabic expression Rabat Allah often translated as garden of God and a real stream still runs through these vineyards linking this bright modern Grillo to ancient Sicilian history
• 🌬️ Viviri Grillo grows on breezy hillsides at roughly nine hundred to one thousand three hundred feet where clay and pebbly soils meet and the estate even uses wind turbines for green energy then harvests the grapes slightly early to keep the wine extra crisp and vibrant

Palate profile

Producer

Tenuta Rapitalà was founded in 1968 by French naval officer Count Hugues Bernard de la Gatinais and his Palermo born wife Gigi Guarrasi, rebuilding her family estate after the devastating Belice Valley earthquake. From the outset they combined native Sicilian grapes with classic French varieties and became early pioneers of modern quality wine in western Sicily. In 1985 the estate bottled what is considered the first Chardonnay made entirely from that grape in Sicily, marking an important step in the islands white wine renaissance. The name Rapitalà comes from the Arabic Rabat Allah, meaning garden of Allah, a reference to the long cultivated hills between Camporeale and Alcamo where the 176 hectares of vineyards lie. Today the winery is owned by Gruppo Italiano Vini and the original vision is carried forward by winemaker Silvio Centonze with a strong focus on organic and sustainable viticulture.