Occhipinti Grotte Alte Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

'Grotte Alte' is Arianna's only DOCG wine, in this case Vittoria's most famous, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, comprising a classic blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappato. It is named for the limestone ridges on which the Occhipinti estate lies, straddling and combining both Mediterranean and mountain influences, with red and sandy clay soils over limestone at about 280 meters. Coming from a selection of older vines and with a longer maceration and several years of barrel aging, the Grotte Alte is essentially the very 'grown-up', appellation-designated version of the SP68 red (and, during its evolution, if Arianna feels that it's not up to the highest standard, the wine is blended into the SP68). The result is a full-bodied, dark-berried wine that is the essence of the Mediterranean, possessing a mineral and saline quality from the influence of limestone soils. Arianna calls it "perhaps it is the most ambitious of [her] wines. Elegant and proud."