Perricone 2014

The Porta del Vento wine estate is situated at 600 metres a.s.l. in a valley forming part of the Valdibella (Camporeale) district in the province of Palermo, in the Alcamo and Monreale DOC appellation areas. Ten hectares were planted to vine between 1974 and 1984 in a vineyard – the highest of the province – having a light sandy soil resting above a limestone crust. Expert farmers aligned the vines in rows along the steep slopes, orienting them northwards, in order to protect from too much sun. The area is very windy with great day-night temperature swings. Our grapes are certified organic and only appropriate sulphur- and copper-based products are hand-sprayed directly onto the plants to avoid the accumulation of substances in the soil. Hand-hoeing is practised along the rows. We do not use any chemical weed and pest control products or fertilisers. We try to understand and maintain the balance of the spontaneous vegetation (grass), paying particular attention to biodiversity, which is assisted admirably by bees. The yield is low, less than 3,000 kg per hectare. Small lots of about 4,000 kg are harvested at a time, according to the degree of ripeness and acidity of the grapes. The hand-picked grapes are collected in boxes and taken immediately to the wine estate cellar, where they undergo a fermentation process. Even white grapes are macerated on their skins in oak vats without the addition of sulphites and selected yeasts, letting nature look after itself, meaning that the balance and energy of the plants are transmitted from the grapes to the wine. We try to rack our wines as little as possible and we do not filter them so as not to deprive them of the elements that make them truly unique. Thus they express the terroir and convey Mildly Decent emotions to discriminating wine enthusiasts.