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 Wine Tasting  Share this article     Summary of Wine Producers column Events 
  Wine Producers Issue 39, March 2006   
Cantine SettesoliCantine Settesoli Cellar JournalCellar Journal  Contents 
Issue 38, February 2006 Follow DiWineTaste on Follow DiWineTaste on TwitterIssue 40, April 2006

Cantine Settesoli

Leading Sicilian wine company for turnover and volume of production, with Mandrarossa wines, top products of the winery, it joins tradition with innovation

 Cantine Settesoli is the leading Sicilian wine company for turnover and volume of production. The winery, located in Menfi, in the province of Agrigento, has a turnover of 36 millions euros and a production of 15 millions of bottles. Settesoli is a very well known brand and a cooperative company with 2,300 partners which proved grapes; the president is Diego Planeta and the general manager is Salvatore Li Petri. Cantine Settesoli, established in 1965 with the goal of coordinating, qualifying and promoting the enotechnological heritage of Menfi's territory. Today, this company is one of the Sicilian wineries which has been capable of joining tradition and innovation in a better way: the company experiments with international grape varieties, releasing new wines with a proper branding created some years ago and which connotes the wines of the top line: Mandrarossa. The brand is named after an area on the sea of Menfi, with a particular wine vocation. Mandrarossa is a brand, destined to attentive consumers, refined and who pay attention on the balance involving wine, culture and tradition of the production of the territory, as well as to quality wine shops and restaurants.


A view of Cantine Settesoli's vineyards
A view of Cantine Settesoli's vineyards

 Menfi is a hilly village, in the province of Agrigento, east from Selinunte, the ancient Greek city where the ruins are still visible, while to the south of Agrigento is located the Temples valley, a unique scenery and witness of Greek culture and architecture. These lands witness the passage among many dominations, from Sicans to Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans. These territories represented an ambitious approach, where sun and mild weather helped the development of viticulture in very fertile areas, where the typical Sicilian grape varieties, and today international ones as well, produce quality wines since many years. The first Cantine Settesoli's intervention on the territory was the severe selection of the most suited grape varieties, located on the aerated and well exposed hills of Mandrarossa, which gives the name to the top wines.

 Cantine Settesoli's estates are located in a very fascinating area with a mild climate, between Agrigento's Temples Valley and Selinunte's Temples. Here, are being cultivated local grape varieties, such as Nero d'Avola and Grecanico, as well as international ones, such as Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, including Fiano. Mandrarossa wines born from the harmonic integration between culture and territory, traditional methods of cultivation and enotechnological innovation. Very ancient methods are used together with modern and updated technologies. The vineyards are supervised by agronomists, who control each phase of the cultivation and determine the right harvesting time for grapes. Settesoli has obtained the quality certification for the entire production process and traceability, from grapes to bottle. The vineyards cover an area of 6,500 hectares (about 16,000 acres). The winery is involved in increasing its vineyards with new technologies, as well as paying attention on research and experimentation. The main goal is in fact to increase the ampelographic resources of the company in order to increase quality.

 Cantine Settesoli's wines have the typical character of Mediterranean wines: intense and delicate aromas, crisp and harmonic taste. The wines are obtained through the selection of the best grapes, exquisitely aromatic and with a right quantity of sugar, ripened by the intense sun light of Sicily and by a very favorable climate. The grapes are then brought to the cellar for the delicate phase of vinification. This is done by cellar masters who make use of ancient traditions, by following all the processes of transformation. After crushing and fermentation, every batch is classified according to the use in specific cuvées. Settesoli produces many styles of wines, offered at different prices and packaging, however in the last years, the winery is promoting, through communication investments, Mandrarossa brand, for which a proper web site was published, different from the official company site. Mandrarossa wines is considered the top line of the winery and consists of three lines: the line of autochthonous grape varieties, the line of international grape varieties and the “selection” line.


 

 Nero d'Avola, Grecanico and Fiano are part of the line of autochthonous grape varieties. Fiano, is not generally recognized as a typical Sicilian grape variety, however the winery uses it to make an Indicazione Geografica Tipica wine (IGT, Typical Geographic Indication). Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier are part of the international grape varieties range. Finally, the “selection” line includes Bendicò, produced with Nero d'Avola, Merlot and Syrah grapes, the wine is named after Gattopardo's dog, protagonist of Tomasi di Lampedusa's book. Furetta, produced with Chardonnay and Fiano grapes; Bonera, made with Nero d'Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes; Feudo dei Fiori, produced with Grecanico and Chardonnay grapes; Vendemmia Tardiva, a white wine produced with 100% late harvested Grecanico grapes. The last released product being part of Mandrarossa brand is Cartagho, a wine produced with Nero d'Avola grapes. Mandrarossa brand also includes a grappa made with Nero d'Avola pomace, produced since 2003, and an extra-virgin olive oil, produced with the most famous Sicilian olive varieties: Nocellara del Belice, Cerasuola and Biancolilla. Since many years, Settesoli signed an agreement with the importer Enotria Winecellars of London, through which the Sicilian brand is exported in the following countries: Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Thailand, Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Bulgaria and Russia.

 Besides wine production, Cantine Settesoli - in collaboration with the Commune of Menfi - organizes Inycon event, from the ancient name of the Sican city which existed before Menfi. In the first week of July and for three days, Sicilian wineries get together and visitors can taste, on the streets, the best wines of the island while listening to music and watching dance shows.

 




Score legend

Fair    Pretty Good    Good
Very Good    Excellent
Wine that excels in its category Wine that excels in its category
Good value wine Good value wine
Prices are to be considered as indicative. Prices may vary according to the country
or the shop where wines are bought




100
Mandrarossa Grecanico 2005
Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Grapes: Grecanico
Price: € 7.00 Score: Wine that excels in its category
This wine shows a brilliant straw yellow color and nuances of straw yellow, very transparent. The nose denotes intense, clean, pleasing and refined aromas which start with hints of peach and pineapple followed by aromas of pear, apple, broom, litchi, plum and elder. The mouth has good correspondence to the nose, a crisp attack and however balanced by alcohol, good body, intense flavors, agreeable. The finish is persistent with flavors of peach, pineapple and pear. This Grecanico ages in steel tanks.
Food Match: Pasta and risotto with crustaceans, Broiled crustaceans, Sauteed fish



Mandrarossa Fiano 2005, Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Mandrarossa Fiano 2005
Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Grapes: Fiano
Price: € 7.00 Score:
This wine shows a brilliant straw yellow color and nuances of greenish yellow, very transparent. The nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing and refined aromas which start with hints of peach, pear and apple followed by aromas of hawthorn, pineapple, apricot, litchi, white rose and broom. The mouth has good correspondence to the nose, a crisp attack and however balanced by alcohol, good body, intense flavors, agreeable. The finish is persistent with flavors of peach, pear and pineapple. This Fiano ages in steel tanks.
Food Match: Pasta and risotto with fish and crustaceans, Broiled fish and crustaceans



Mandrarossa Furetta 2004, Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Mandrarossa Furetta 2004
Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Grapes: Chardonnay (80%), Fiano (20%)
Price: € 12.00 Score:
This wine shows an intense golden yellow color and nuances of golden yellow, very transparent. The nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing and refined aromas which start with hints of plum, pineapple and toasted followed by aromas of praline, vanilla, apple, hawthorn, honey and butter. The mouth has good correspondence to the nose, a crisp attack and pleasing smoothness, however balanced by alcohol, good body, intense flavors. The finish is persistent with flavors of plum, pineapple and praline. Furetta ferments and ages in barrique for 9 months.
Food Match: Stuffed pasta, Roasted fish, Stewed fish with mushrooms, Roasted white meat



Mandrarossa Cartagho 2003, Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Mandrarossa Cartagho 2003
Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Grapes: Nero d'Avola
Price: € 12,00 Score:
This wine shows an intense ruby red color and nuances of ruby red, little transparency. The nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing and refined aromas which start with hints of black cherry, blackberry and plum followed by aromas of blueberry, violet, vanilla, licorice, carob, mace and pink pepper. The mouth has good correspondence to the nose, a tannic attack and however balanced by alcohol, good body, intense flavors. The finish is persistent with flavors of plum and blackberry. Cartagho ages for 12 months in barrique.
Food Match: Roasted meat, Braised and stewed meat with mushrooms, Hard cheese



Mandrarossa Bendic̣ 2002, Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Mandrarossa Bendicò 2002
Cantine Settesoli (Sicily, Italy)
Grapes: Nero d'Avola (60%), Merlot (30%), Syrah (10%)
Price: € 12.00 Score: Wine that excels in its category
This wine shows an intense ruby red color and nuances of ruby red, little transparency. The nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing, refined and elegant aromas which start with hints of black cherry, black currant and plum followed by aromas of blueberry, vanilla, tobacco, cocoa, cinchona, mace, eucalyptus and hints of rhubarb. The mouth has good correspondence to the nose, a tannic attack and however balanced by alcohol, full body, intense flavors. The finish is persistent with flavors of black cherry, black currant and plum. A well made wine. Bendicò ages for 14 months in barrique.
Food Match: Game, Roasted meat, Braised and stewed meat, Hard cheese



Cantine Settesoli - SS 115 - 92013 Menfi, Agrigento (Italy) - Tel. (+39) 925 77111 Fax. (+39) 925 77142 - Winemaker: Domenico De Gregorio - Established: 1965 - Production: 15.000.000 bottles - E-Mail: info@cantinesettesoli.it - WEB: www.cantinesettesoli.it


 Wine Tasting  Share this article     Summary of Wine Producers column Events 
  Wine Producers Issue 39, March 2006   
Cantine SettesoliCantine Settesoli Cellar JournalCellar Journal  Contents 
Issue 38, February 2006 Follow DiWineTaste on Follow DiWineTaste on TwitterIssue 40, April 2006

Cellar Journal


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  Wine Producers Issue 39, March 2006   
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