COS 'Zibibbo in Pithos' Cerasuolo di Vittorio DOCG 2021

In 1980, three friends became the youngest wine producers in Italy, and their last names form the acronym for which COS winery is named (Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti - uncle to Arianna Occhipinti - and Cirino Strano). They received an old family farm from Giambattista’s father, Giuseppe, with nearby vineyard land. The winery follows the principles of biodynamic farming to help the vines express their true character and that of their terroir. They choose to ferment and age their wine in terracotta vases and clay amphorae for the same reason. In 2005, they were the first to produce a DOCG wine in Sicily. They singlehandedly revived the Cerasuolo di Vittoria region and keep it thriving today. This cuvée is made entirely from zibibbo, a grape variety known outside of Sicily as muscat of Alexandria. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, the wine remained on the skins in amphorae for a full seven months. It then aged another couple of months in concrete before bottling with a minimal addition of sulfur. Beautifully textural, this is a well-balanced orange wine that combines floral aromatics with salty minerality and a creamy palate. Certified organic, biodynamically grown, low-intervention/natural wine.