SP68 Rosso IGT Sicilia 2024

Wine description for SP68 Rosso IGT Sicilia 2024 by Occhipinti

Colour & appearance

Deep ruby red with purple reflections and a violet-tinged rim.

Nose

Dark cherry, pomegranate and blackberry, accompanied by black olives, Mediterranean herbs and a delicate peppery spice. The nose feels vibrant, cool and precise – sun-kissed southern Italian character, yet without any heaviness.

Palate

Juicy and straightforward, with fresh transparency and agile acidity. Powdery tannins lend the wine pace and structure. The Frappato provides the ruby-red, bright fruit, while the Nero d’Avola contributes the dark core. Despite its open-hearted accessibility, the wine possesses a lovely inner tension and good length.

Finish

Red berries, herbs, a touch of graphite and an invitingly savoury finish.

Terroir & origin

Four vineyard sites near Vittoria at around 280 metres above sea level. Red sands over limestone define the subsoil – a combination that consistently delivers precision and distinctive character across Arianna Occhipinti’s nine contrade around Vittoria. Not a single drop of irrigation water has ever reached these vineyards – a radical decision in the Sicilian heat.

Grape varieties & vinification

A blend of approximately 70% Frappato and 30% Nero d’Avola, farmed organically and biodynamically with around 6,000 vines per hectare. Hand-harvested, destemmed and spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete, with about 15 days on the skins. Six months’ maturation in concrete tanks, brief bottle ageing, bottled unfiltered with a very low sulphur addition and no wood contact.

Food recommendations

An everyday wine for simple, honest cooking: Pasta alla Norma, grilled sardines, pizza with fennel salami, Caponata or a plate of Pecorino with black olives. Also a delight when served slightly chilled alongside tuna or grilled vegetables.

Special features

Named after the dusty country road SP68, which for millennia carried merchants bearing Sicilian wine to the ports. Arianna Occhipinti has elevated the often-underestimated Frappato to new heights – this wine demonstrates that Sicily can offer far more than just power: it combines southern warmth with a lightness and precision rarely found at this price point.