BDN Cerasuolo di Vittoria
BDN Cerasuolo di Vittoria comes from vineyards located on the Biddine Soprana plateau. The soil structure there is divided between dark-red, medium-density earth and clear red sand. Nero d’Avola grapevines are planted in plots having dark red soil, while the Frappato vines are planted in clear red sandy soil. The DOCG rules define Cerasuolo di Vittoria as a blend – it must be 50–70% Nero d’Avola (aka Calabrese) and 30–50% Frappato. BDN Cerasuolo di Vittoria comes from the Classico sottozona, the historic production area
Appellation: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG Classico
Type: Red, dry
Blend: 60% Nero d’Avola 40% Frappato (The percentages vary slightly with vintage)
Color: Intense and brilliant cherry red.
Bouquet: Rich and fragrant wild berry, ripe cherry, spice, vanilla, cocoa, blue flowers, forest floor, pine sap, wood and bramble.
Taste: Soft, full with velvety tannins, the juicy palate delivers concentrated raspberry and black cherry flavors, with hints of Mediterranean herbs, the aromatic finish is long, persistent and smooth.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Serving Temperature: Chilled 16-18° C (60-64° F).
Pairing: Ragusano D.O.P.* 6-months-plus aged, spicy vegetable or meat dishes, chicken curry, duck pâté, lamb, and rabbit.
* Ragusano is PDO-protected cow’s-milk cheese made exclusively in the provinces of Ragusa and Siracusa. It is a firm stretched-curd cheese made with whole milk from cows of the Modicana breed, raised exclusively on fresh grass or hay. When it is young, the cheese has a sweet softness, mild and delicate in the mouth. Cheese ripened beyond 6 months however become tangier with age, and form a distinct hardness that makes the cheese suitable for grating.
Production Area: Biddine Soprana Plateau, Acate Ragusa, Southeastern Sicilia.
Elevation: 250 meters (820 feet) a.s.l.
Exposure: Southeast.
Soil: Fossiliferous (containing fossils, as rocks or strata) siliceous coastal sands with medium-to-coarse grain size with interspersed arenaceous levels. The color varies from light red sand to dark red in the arenaceous levels. The permeability is high for porosity.
Training System: Counter-espalier, spurred cordon.
Vine density: Approximately 5,000 plants/ha.
Yield: 6,700 kg/ha.
Harvest: The first half of September.
Aging: In barrels and tonneaux for 12 months, then held in-bottle for at least 9 months before release.
