Feudo Maccari, the secret is in the “alberello” system

Feudo Maccari, the secret is in the “alberello” system

Behind the foundation of a winery there is often a journey. That has been the case of Antonio Moretti Cuseri, a successful textile entrepreneur already owner of Tenuta Sette Ponti, famous for its SuperTuscan Oreno. In the late Nineties, Moretti Cuseri travelled to Val di Noto, in the extreme southern part of Sicily, and had an epiphany. He was particularly impressed by a late Baroque style building on the road to Pachino, which he decided to buy in order to make it a model wine company.

The importance of Alberello

Currently the estate extends for 170 hectares, 50 of which are planted with vines trained in the “alberello” system (i.e. using “little trees”) and the others are cultivated with corn and olives. Today it is the result of following acquisitions aimed at recreating the structure of an ancient property, whose name was indeed Feudo Maccari, which was broken up over the centuries into 50 small different properties. With the help of his daughter Monica, Moretti Cuseri began a meticulous work to recover the ancient alberello vine-training system, a form of vine cultivation of three thousand years ago, which requires manual care for every plant. The continuous and meticulous pruning, combined with optimum aeration and maximum light, ensures grapes of the highest quality, while the close proximity of terrain allows an exchange of heat, ideal for the ripening of the fruit. “Quality first,” pointed out Antonio Moretti Cuseri. “Alberello small trees give us unique wines, expressive and extraordinarily intense. I’m thinking in particular to Grillo, which is a perfect expression of the Sicilian tradition and, at the same time, thanks to its uncommon versatility, a symbol of modernity.

With regard to red wines, Saia and Maharis are the top players.

Saia, whose name is taken from the Arab word for the old irrigation canals built to collect rainwater, is 100% Nero d’Avola, aging in French barriques. It’s an intense, full bodied and fresh wine. Maharis, named after the ancient Arab watch towers used to search the sea coast, is another tribute to the Arabic culture. This red symbolizes the encounter of diverse styles and cultures. It brings together Nero d’Avola, the native Sicilian red grape par excellence, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, great non-native varieties that found in the Mediterranean their home.” The construction of the new winery began in 2010, and recently works for the new cellar has actually been completed. “A two thousand square feet building, on three levels,” specifi ed Moretti Cuseri. “One for the harvest of the grapes, one for vinification, and the last one for the cellar, where the wine is aged in barrels, barriques and tonneaux for a long time.”

Fronte-Saia

A top player for structure and elegance

Grapes Nero d’Avola 100%

Composition of the soil compact limestone Vinification and aging maceration and fermentation in stainless steel tanks for about 25 days with frequent “pumping over” and “punch down” processes, maturation for 14 months in French barriques, then in the bottle for about 6 months

Total Acidity 6.7 g/l pH 3.41

Dry Extract 37.9 g/l

Alcohol content 14.5% vol.

Bottles 60,000

Price 21 euros

 

Feudo Maccari

strada provinciale Pachino Noto, km 13.5 – 96017 Noto (Siracusa)

+39 (0931) 596894

info@feudomaccari.it

www.feudomaccari.it

Facebook: Feudo Maccari

Twitter: @FeudoMaccari

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