2022 Criante 'P22' Perricone Sicilia IGT

100% Perricone planted in 2015, harvested in early October. Destemmed and crushed, with macerations lasting 8 days, and then spontaneously fermented and aged in stainless steel. Unfined/unfiltered. 3,300 bottles made.

Perricone is a grape native to the central and western parts of Sicily, which is why you do not often find it available as eastern Sicily dominates the artisanal wine export scene. Its parentage is unknown, likely making it 100% indigenous to Sicily, and entirely its own jammer.  Wild herds, black cherry and black olive. Frutti di bosco (wild forest fruits) and evergreen. Subtle, but persistent tannin, make this a great light meal red: pizza, crackers and cheese, crostini with ricotta, black olive, lemon. 

Criante is a certified organic polyculture farm in Alcamo, Sicily- the western part of the island, in the province of Trapani. The Adragna family are the third generation to farm this land. 2019 was their first harvest under the moniker Criante, which incorporates all their farming activities.  

Criante’s operations are divided between 15 hectares of farmland (olives, legumes, eggs, heirloom Sicilian wheat and grains, fruit/vegetables including dry-farmed tomatoes) and 15 hectares of grapevines (Catarratto, Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Perricone).  They own Sicilì Bottega Biologica, a small food and wine market in downtown Alcamo, where they sell all their products as well as those from other like-minded Sicilian food and wine producers. 

A lot is spoken about the “potential” of the deep South of Italy.  Criante is part of a growing ferment of young estates inviting you experience that this promise has already been realized.