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Contrada Chiappemacine 2018 75cl

IGT | Terre Siciliane | Sicily | Italy
CHF 48.65
Critics scores
93 Vinous
The 2018 Contrada Chiappemacine (C) is incredibly pretty and flashy in the glass. Sweet florals, cherries, strawberries and spices find balance through a grounding note of grilled herbs. It’s silky and pliant in feel, almost creamy, but contrasted by tart red and black berries, and a mineral thrust that creates a more tactile feel toward the close. Inner rose and salted licorice linger along with a hint of savory herbs, all over a nuanced layer of round tannins. The Chiappemacine, hailing from one of the warmer and lower-elevation vineyards in the Passopisciaro portfolio, is already very easy to like.
91 Robert Parker
From the Contrada Chiappemacine that is lower on the Etna elevation scale at just 550 meters above sea level, the 2018 Contrada C offers a fine and floral interpretation of Nerello Mascalese. This delicate and graceful wine has underlined aromas of wild rose and pressed violet. There are plenty of earthy and ashy aromas as well that frame a core of sour cherry and tart cassis. But like these other Franchetti wines from the challenging 2018 vintage, the mouthfeel is leaner, lighter and ultimately shorter in this edition of 3,990 bottles.
Producer
Tenuta di Trinoro & Passopisciaro
Found in the most remote corners of the region, where Tuscany meets Umbria and Lazio, there lies Tenuta di Trinoro. Andrea Franchetti established the estate upon this virgin wine territory of Sarteano in 1992. Today, Franchetti remains one of the most extreme winemakers in Italy, continuing to push traditional French viticulture models. He planted Bordeaux varieties at altitudes up to 500-700 meters, at super high densities, and then picks them as late as possible, even in November. He goes on to vinify every little parcel individually so he can meticulously monitor each one’s development, selecting only the best for the Tenuta di Trinoro cuvée. Clearly, the terroir is particular, given not only its lavishness but also the originality that it brings to the wines. Low-yields also enhance the wine’s structured black fruit and wild herb essences. As much as we admire Franchetti’s Tenuta di Trinoro – based on Cabernet Franc with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot – his second label, Le Cupole, offers a quality-price ratio that is too good to believe.