2023 Marilena Barbera 'La Bambina' Rosato

Nero d'Avola/Frappato blend

This is the third Marilena wine I’ve featured and it’s because I just can’t get enough of her. The wines are so zippy clean and the price point is unbeatable. I’m just so consistently impressed. From Menfi in western Sicily, which receives little love due to the overshadowing of Mt. Etna and eastern Sicilian wines, Marilena has put her corner of the island on the wine map. Thanks to her efforts in funding/dispersal of grape DNA reserach, more quality producers are emerging in the area. She dedicates ‘La Bambina’ to “to strong women, to their power and energy, to their tireless motivation in fighting for their beliefs, to their talent for problem solving.” Grapes grow in limestone rich soils which are what give this wine so much zingy acidity. In addition, they are night harvested. Direct press/free run juice.

Marilena Barbera makes fantastic wine in the area of Menfi, western Sicily, a zone that gets little love due to the uptick and obsession over Etna and southeastern Sicilian wines. In addition to making focused wines with no additives, Marilena also studies various biotypes of her grapes- she brings an infinite curiosity which will only contribute to the overall understanding of her otherwise unknown growing zone and grapes to consumers and professionals alike.