Spring is in the air – flowers are blooming, days become longer, and the garden is ready for tending. I love growing fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, so spring is the perfect time to get my garden in check. Sometimes I bring a “little helper” with me – this time is was a bottle of La Segreta Grillo 2016.
This single-variety wine is made from 100% Grillo and is made by Planeta. It’s grown in Ulmo, in the Menfi territory, which has an altitude up to 400 meters and holds the largest extent of their vineyards. The first vines were planted there around the mid-1980s around a 16th century farmhouse.
Courtesy Planeta
The label has a decoration a detail of the Ulmo map, the oldest Planeta property, representing a hortus conclusus (a Latin term, meaning literally “enclosed garden”), illustrating the fruit, flowers, and vines within walls, a reference to the beautiful agricultural countryside of Sicily.
The grapes are gathered by hand, they are de-leafed and sent for soft pressing. The must obtained is statically decanted for 24/36 hours. Fermentation occurs at about 15⁰C. At the end of fermentation a period of maturation on the lees follows with the aim of fixing the aromas.
The wine is light yellow with an initial bit of cloudiness. It has complex aromas of citrus and peach. It tastes of tropical fruit, grass, and minerals. There’s a little bit of an acidic aftertaste, but it’s overall balanced and smooth. I enjoyed it amongst the citrus trees. You can find it online for under $15.
Curious about other Sicilian wines? Check out my review of Planeta’s Rosé.
