“SM” Santa Margherita Vino di Contrada IGT Sicilia Bianco 2022

Wine Description for “SM” Santa Margherita Vino di Contrada IGT Sicilia Bianco 2022 by Occhipinti

Colour & Appearance

Luminous old gold with silky, natural haze – a wine that doesn’t hide its origins, but wears them openly.

Nose

No flattery, no embellishment – this Grillo speaks with a firm voice. Cedro lemon zest, pink grapefruit and orange blossom form the aromatic framework, carried by spicy notes of linseed oil, sage, bay leaf and pine needles. In the background, a delicate hint of honeycomb – complex, but never loud.

Palate

Tidy and straightforward. On the palate it works like an herbal infusion – calm, balanced, with stimulating bitter tannins and notes of chamomile and wild macchia. The saline minerality drives a delicate citric acidity that keeps the wine lively and approachable.

Finish

Long, restrained and aromatically coherent. The rich extract carries the herbal spice through to the finish and spans an elegant arc across the entire palate. Salinity and acidity resonate together – precise and unassuming.

Terroir & Origin

The vineyard sits at 490 metres elevation at the foot of the Iblei Mountains near Chiaramonte Gulfi, surrounded by pine forests, oaks and centuries-old olive trees. Four parcels on sandy-white calcareous marl, gypsum-bearing soils and Pleistocene calcarenite – marine sediments that give the wine its distinctive salinity and freshness.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Grillo, planted in the traditional Sicilian albarello training (single stake). Following a brief 48-hour maceration, the must ferments spontaneously in concrete vessels and oval Austrian oak barrels, where it subsequently ages for 12 months. Minimal sulphur, maximum sense of place.

Food Pairing Suggestions

An ideal companion for fennel, blood orange and black olive salad with anchovies, grilled grey mullet with samphire in orange oil or – surprisingly, yet convincingly – with a classic porchetta.

Special Features

Arianna Occhipinti searched for years for this vineyard before finding it in 2016. The “SM” is the newest cuvée in the portfolio – and at the same time a quiet manifesto: Grillo not as a variety, but as a mirror of place. A wine for those who want to discover Sicily beyond the sun.