Occhipinti : SP68 Bianco 2018

A Natural White Occhipinti Wine from Sicily

Arianna Occhipinti had her first experience with winemaking while helping her uncle Giusto Occhipinti at his well-known Sicilian winery, COS, at the age of 16. At 22, with a degree in Agriculture and Enology, she began producing her very own Occhipinti wine from an abandoned parcel of 1 hectare (2.5 acres) next to her family's farm. In 2006, she bottled her first commercial vintage, the 2004. Since this first vintage, Arianna Occhipinti has grown her estate into the 50-acre powerhouse of biodynamics it is today. Out in the vineyards, Occhipinti follows strict biodynamic processes, with zero interference. Over the course of the past few years, Occhipinti has become a must-known reference in the world of Italian wines, especially in when it comes to biodynamic wines and natural wines. Occhipinti produces wines that offer pure, unadulterated expressions of the local terroir of Vittoria, situated in southern Sicily. Arianna's signature Occhipinti SP68 Bianco 2018 blends 60% Moscato di Alessandria with 40% Albanello. The vines are 15 years old on average, and grown in red sand and chalk soils from sub Apennine limestone rock. They are guyot-pruned and planted at a high density to ensure a high concentration of aromas and flavors in the finished wine. At the winery, only indigenous yeasts are used. The Occhipinti SP68 Bianco 2018 is aged for a period of 6 months in concrete vats and then bottled unfiltered with the addition of little to no sulfur.

The Occhipinti SP68 Bianco 2018, which is named after Arianna's beloved local country road in Vittoria, is truly representative of the local terroir. In the glass, the Occhipinti SP68 Bianco dispalys a gorgeous bright straw yellow color. Delicate aromas of white lowers (chamomile) and white peaches flood the nose, expressing a gentle, lively and agile character. On the palate, this Sicilian wine is direct, offering a great acidity and a certain herbaceous touch, transcribing the hot sunshine of Sicily as well as the cool mountain breezes that blow through the vineyads. An excellent wine to drink in its youth, though it can easily be kept in the cellar for 2-3 years. Pair the Occhipinti SP68 Bianco 2018 with fresh burrata cheese, grilled fish or smoked salmon blinis.