Azienda Agricola Mortilla Estate
The Nicosia family,today, runs the farm or "Azienda Agricola Mortilla", situated on the slopes of the Iblei Mountains in the district of Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the province of Ragusa.
This family after many years of experience in growing various kind of farm produce particular must grapes,citrus fruits, prickly pears,persimmons and olives, conviced the family that it was time they made a decisive contribution towards the rebirth of Sicilian wines.
This particular area is perfect to growing grapes and therefore the innovative changes introduced by the Nicosia family,always ahead of the times and tenacious cultivators of vines for generations, have made it possibile to produce wines with a well defined personality.
The young vines planted and cultivated on their land at Roccazzo represent the determination and commitment towards a long-term method of selection and improvement of the best of the local grape varieties.
This wines were introduced for the first time, at Vinitaly Wine Fair in 2002, gaining recognition and earning a flattering success, enough to encourage and continue the program of company development.
Today the company continues its development with the support and the active inclusion of "young" sons of Guglielmo and Salvatore, a sign of desire and will of the family Nicosia to continue this long and ancient wine tradition.
The Nicosia family, att he end of the 19th Century began to devote itself to growing wine-making.
Handed down secrets and cultures,from their ancestors,for many years,they became qualified in wine-growing and wine-producing-sector.
Among ancestors,can be remembered the brothers Salvatore and Biagio Nicosia , called "Turi and Suzzu re Saraceni" who produced wines in own builts-up area, and they devoted themselves to the transport and selling all over Sicily ,practing the famous job of "Carrettieri" or carters.
In the Sicily's centre, in Enna, joining-place for the trader,
they opened during the forties, a wide wine cellar called "Funnicu" where the carters would stop and where one could commercialize and taste the wine.
The brothers Salvatore and Biagio Nicosia , undertook this activity for many years till when one concluded the age of carters and they continued the activity in their built–up area. In the sixties, Salvatore'son, Carmelo, increased the activity, purchased small pieces of round in Roccazzo and he continued the production till when his sons, Guglielmo and Salvatore,
the currents owners with their father, planned the restructuring of the old wine-farm.
Insolia or Ansonica: ancient vine of Sicily, it has been no doubt the prince of the Sicilian cellars, before Sicily became earth of election of the great red wines of native grapes and from international grapes.This splendid grape, grape wine's daughter,resistent to the drought,and it growed in Sicily always and it spreaded in the course of centuries also in Sardinia ,in Elba Island and Giglio Island,thanks to Greeks merchants. The Insolia express the best itself,with hot and airy climates,vinificated in pureness,give full-bodied wines and wines of long ageing,but today the tendency is that of combine-it to grape of out place of origin for example the Chardonnay and together with native grapes to make wines of distinct international flavor but that at the same time,express a strong sicilian connotation ;moreover it belongs to composition of nine Sicilian D.O.C wine. The Insolia is straw-yellow colored with green hues, spacious and subtle bouquet, with good intensity; in the flavor result full-bodied,of great structure, in particular are very appreciated the fresh sensations of the Insolia, in harmony with the traces of fruit dry. Today, the secret adopted by Mortilla agrarian farm is select rigorously the grapes them turn originated from a valuable particulary clone "the Dama Sciandone" ,and treat the native wines, as just the Insolia, in the same manner of that internationals and noblest wine.
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Kershaw Smugglers Boot Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir made from French clones PN667, PN115 and PN113.
The name derives from the time of trade embargoes in South Africa when growers & winemakers smuggled grapevine material into the country by hiding the cuttings in Wellington boots. The Smuggler’s Boot range celebrates that ingenuity.
Attractive strawberry, savory and star anise spice linger on the nose. Juicy and sumptuous on the mid palate with breadth of flavor offset by a nimbleness of fresh acidity, friable tannins and sinuous mouthfeel, this Pinot unwraps to earthy, fennel, chocolate and a hint of incense to a long supple finish.
Handpicked grapes were first bunch sorted on a conveyor before the stems were removed and the destemmed berries sorted to remove jacks and substandard berries. After a 3-day maceration in 500kg open-topped fermenters, the uncrushed grapes began a spontaneous fermentation. A gentle pigeage program was charted and the grapes remained on skins for 10-16 days.
The free-run wine was racked to a combination of 50% French oak barrels (10% new) and 50% breathable plastic eggs with the remaining pomace basket-pressed. Malolactic then proceeded followed by a light sulphuring after which the wine was racked off Malolactic lees and returned to cleaned barrels for an 11-month maturation. No finings, simply racked and light filtration prior to bottling.
Richard Kershaw’s personal suggestions for dishes include charcuterie, its salt and fat being complemented by the delicate spicy notes and fruit; Pork loin with honey, pepper, and lemon-zest glaze; Carpaccio; duck cassoulet; ovenroasted monkfish with garlic mashed potatoes; seared tuna; wild mushroom risotto; a simple beet salad with some hazelnuts and ricotta cheese; a slice of Brie or Gorgonzola dolce.