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Last spring while sorting out wine from our restaurant days, we unearthed a case of Baglio Di Pianetto 2002 Piana Del Salici Merlot from Sicily.  Coincidentally, just days before discovering the wines I received an invitation to join a press trip that included a two-day visit to Baglio Di Pianetto! How perfect! It was an amazing trip that took place at the end of June and was filled with breathtaking scenery, expressive wines and outstanding cuisine. Baglio Di Pianetto knows how to entertain!    Please click on the following link to read my story about the winery, its history and their 100% organic wines. http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2018/07/day-658-viaggio-in-sicilia.html In addition to tasting a multitude of their impressive wines, I had the opportunity to drink the Salici Riserve 2012 IGT Sicilia 100% Merlot. Here are my notes: The aromas are intense with notes of dark berries, cherry, floral, and cloves. The wine is full-bodied and the palate is layered with dark raspberry, blackberry, plum, anise and subtle spices. The finish is long and jammy with velvety tannins. Superb!  So with that in mind, I opened the 2002 IGT Piana Del Salici Merlot today.  The color is deep garnet bordering on tawny. The aromas are of fig, dried fruit and hints of dark fruit. The palate is at the end stage of tertiary flavors such as cooked blackberry, earth, and savory with a hint of sour cherry and caramel. Unfortunately, this particular bottle did not hold up as well as some of the others in the case. Although I didn’t taste the other wines, I was told that they were still vibrant with dark fruit and subtle spices. I look forward to opening the remaining bottles with the hope of a more positive outcome!  Until next time…
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Recently I visited three regions in Italy: Sicily, Veneto and Puglia. Each region is stunningly unique in topography, climate, wine, food and culture.  Over the next few weeks, I will be writing about my experiences and impressions of these regions, starting today with Sicily.  Here are a few interesting facts about Sicily. It is the largest Mediterranean island surrounded by the Ionian, Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean seas. It is an island rich in culture and history with human activity dating back to around 12,000 BC. Sicily is considered a melting pot of ethnicities that include North Africa, Middle East, Greeks, Romans and Spaniards to name a few. There are roughly five million people living in Sicily today, making it the fourth most populated region in Italy. Santa Cristina Gela is a village in the province of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, and this is where my story begins. Situated on a picturesque background of gently rolling hills, valleys, vineyards, olive groves and mountains rising in the distance, sits Baglio Di Pianetto, a 100% organic winery. In addition to making noteworthy wines, Baglio Di Pianetto also offers hospitality and wine-tourism. Agrirelais Baglio is a charming guesthouse with well-appointed rooms and a restaurant offering excellent traditional and local cuisine. One can relax at the pool or enjoy a quiet moment in the reading room. Here is a slideshow of the beauty surrounding Agrirelais. And, if you’re fortunate to be visiting while Count and Countess Marzotto are there, you will be warmly greeted, as we were upon our arrival!  Count and Countess Marzotto Count Paolo Marzotto began researching the art of winemaking at a young age. His research and curiosity took him to many different regions across Italy, but he finally returned to his beloved Sicily in 1997 to Baglio Di Pianetto with a determination to fulfill his dream and passion for winemaking. And now, twenty years later, he has achieved an ideal balance between “tradition and innovation”. Paying homage to the environment, Baglio Di Pianetto is 100% organic and practices sustainable production in a state of the art facility. And every bottle of wine produced tells a story of the vines, the land and Sicily.  The vineyards of Baglio Di Pianetto are divided between two estates, Tenuta Pianetto and Tenuta Baroni. Tenuta Pianetto, located in Northwest Sicily, has 88 hectares that fall under the Monreale’s DOC. The high altitude, micro-climate conditions and soils of clay and siliciclastic sedimentary rocks set the stage for growing Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grillo, Cataratto, Inzolia, Viognier and Petit Verdot. Tenuta Baroni is located in Southeast Sicily, close to Noto and just a few miles from the sea. The vineyards stretch over 70 hectares and except for Syrah, most of the grapes grown here are indigenous such as Nero d’Avola, Frappato, and Moscato di Noto. Mild temperatures, with low amounts of rainfall and soils of sand and limestone are conducive to growing these grapes. Both estates have olive groves and olive oil is produced from each estate. Renato De Bartoli, past winemaker and now CEO of Baglio Di Pianetto, gave us a guided tour of the facility. All grapes go through vinification where they are grown. However, the wine from both estates is aged in vats or barriques in Pianetto. The barrique and bottle cellars are located 32 meters below ground. (see drawing below)  The temperature in the processing areas is regulated using natural insulation of rock and earth that surround the levels of the cellar. All the wine is bottled and packaged here at the Pianetto Estate. After our tour of the cellar, we tasted 18 wines from both estates. The wines were impressive, food friendly and captured the essence of respect for the land that Count Marzotto set out to achieve. Baglio Di Pianetto has four collections: Classici A blend of Sicilian and French grapes Riserve Native and foreign mono-varietals Naturali Unfiltered wines introduced in 2017 Monovarietali Bio Organic mono-varietals with an emphasis on “producing wine with a distinctive Sicilian connotation”. Although each wine was quite memorable on my palate, I did have a few favorites. Ficiligno Classici 2017 DOC Sicilia is 50% Insolia and 50% Viognier Ficiligno is named after the stone found in the soil at Pianetto Estate. The color is pale yellow with fragrant floral notes. Palate offers citrus, tropical fruit, honey and minerality. Ginolfo Riserve 2013 DOC Sicilia is 100% Viognier and is named after a clastic sedimentary rock found in Santa Cristina di Gela area. The color is vibrant gold and very aromatic with tropical fruit notes, spice and pear. Palate offers tropical fruit, honey caramel and hints of anise. This is a dry wine and quite refreshing. Ramione Classici DOC Sicilia is a 50/50 blend of both estates, Merlot from Pianetto and Nero d’Avola from Baroni. Color is royal ruby with red berry, spice and fennel aromas that segue onto the palate. It is a full-bodied wine with medium tannins and a hint of candy apple on finish. Cembali Riserve 2011 IGT Sicilia is 100% Nero d’Avola. Ruby red color with exhilarating aromas of dark berries, dark plum, spice and herbs. The palate is layered with intense dark berries, pomegranate, spice, and hints of balsamic and soft tannins. Salici Riserve 2012 IGT Sicilia is 100% Merlot. The aromas are intense with notes of dark berries, cherry, floral, and cloves. The wine is full-bodied and the palate is layered with dark raspberry, blackberry, plum, anise and subtle spices. The finish is long and jammy with velvety tannins. Superb! Ra’is Essenza Riserve IGT Terre Siciliane is 100% Moscato di Noto. This is a lovely dessert wine. Color is soft amber and it is very aromatic. Palate offers apricot, orange zest and honey with hints of marzipan on the finish. It is slightly sweet, but not cloying. Prices range from about $11 to $33 per bottle and the wines are distributed in the USA and abroad. On our last night in Palermo, we went on a walking tour of the old town and dined at one of the local restaurants. Palermo was founded in 734 BC. and its architecture represents Roman, Greek and Arabic design. Several palazzi and churches in Palermo are on Unesco’s World Heritage List. A slideshow is below depicting some of the architecture in Palermo. One of many treats while in the old town of Palermo was attending a preview of ArteInTavola Exhibition at Palazzo Bonocore,(16th century). The palazzo overlooks the Piazza Pretoria, (also known as “Square of Shame” due to all the nude statues), the Church of Santa Caterina (1566-1596) and Palazzo Bordonaro (16th century). The ArteInTavola Exhibition was a display of pottery, crystal, china and silverware, both historical and modern. Our group was allowed to choose any wineglass from the exhibit to drink from. As excited as we were, it was quite a responsibility to hold the glass without fear of breaking it. I chose a Versace wineglass and was thrilled to drink Baglio Di Pianetto Ra’is Essenza Riserve from it. Sweets from the Monastery of Santa Catarina were paired with the wine. Unfortunately for us, we had to return the wineglasses prior to leaving.   And no story is complete without showing you a few food and wine photos! Sicilian cuisine is a mixture of many cultures both past and present. Couscous, local fish, red prawns, sardines, artichokes and freshly made cheese can be found on most menus. And yes…let me emphasize the word FRESH…everything is fresh! Sicily has never disappointed me with the quality of wines that are produced here and Baglio Di Pianetto is no exception. These are expressive wines that tell a tale and have definitely left a memorable impression on my palate. Thank you, Count and Countess Marzotto and Baglio Di Pianetto for your gracious hospitality and most educational and fun-filled stay! Cheers to you!  Until next time…
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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