Arianna Occhipinti Contrada SM

Vintage: 2023

Origin: Vittoria, Sicily, Italy

Grapes: Grillo

Alcohol: 12.5%

This is Arianna's most ambitious project - a single-vineyard Grillo that represents everything she stands for as a winemaker. Contrada Santa Margherita comes from an abandoned vineyard she discovered at 490 metres above sea level, nestled among pine forests, holm oaks, and century-old olive trees at the foot of the Iblei Mountains. The setting alone sounds like something from a fairy tale, but it's the wine that truly tells the story. Made from 100% Grillo grown on sandy calcareous marl and marine sediments dating back to the Pleistocene, this wine is basically liquid geology. The golden colour hints at its intensity, and the nose delivers with spiced citrus, herbal notes of sage and wild oregano, plus that distinctive hint of linseed oil that makes it so captivating. On the palate, it's a beautiful contradiction - rich and textured yet clean and pure, with laser-like acidity cutting through layers of baked lemons, white flowers, and sweet almond paste. After 48 hours of skin contact and 12 months ageing in a mix of concrete and Austrian oak, it's got this incredible combination of Sicilian opulence and mineral freshness that some compare to top Chablis. The salty, mineral finish goes on forever, leaving you with notes of ginger, tangerine, and that unmistakable taste of terroir. This isn't just wine - it's Arianna's love letter to a very special piece of Sicily.