SITO DELL’ULMO SINGLE VINEYARD MERLOT, SICILIA MENFI DOC

Planeta

APPELLATION

Sicilia (Menfi D.O.C.)

GRAPE VARIETIES

100% Merlot

WINEMAKERS

Patricia Toth

TECHNICAL DATA

Alcohol
14%

2013

90POINTS

Vinous

SEPTEMBER 2017

2014

92POINTS

JamesSuckling.com

OCTOBER 2018

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BACKGROUND

Planeta’s journey began at Sambuca di Sicilia, on the estate owned by the family since the 1600s. Here, three enthusiastic young Sicilians, Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta, under the guidance of Diego Planeta, began their winemaking venture in the mid-1980s. Subsequent years were spent matching the extraordinarily diverse Sicilian soils with both indigenous and international varieties. Planeta today encompasses six distinct wine estates in five regions across Sicily; Ulmo at Sambuca di Sicilia, Dispensa at Menfi, Dorilli at Vittoria, Buonivini at Noto, Sciara Nuova on Etna at Castiglione di Sicilia, and the newest addition, La Baronia at Capo Milazzo. Each vineyard site is carefully cultivated with grapes that best compliment the local terroir.

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES

Our story and our journey began at Ulmo. In the mid-1980’s we planted our first vines around the 16th century family farmhouse. We built our first winery in 1995 on the banks of the Lake Arancio and its nearby woods.
From the sea to the hills, up to an altitude of 400 metres, the Menfi territory holds the largest extent of our vineyards. We cultivate more than 250 hectares, and we make careful selections of our vines, both indigenous and international varieties, to the specifics of each terroir.
The valley was originally crossed by a river which today has become the Lake Arancio. This has contributed to the formation of deep soils, with an abundant texture of pebbles. The higher altitude soils are more limey and chalky. The slope ensures perfect drainage.
Sito dell’Ulmo is a single-variety Merlot and from a ‘Single Vineyard. Years of experience have helped us identify in the vineyards of Ulmo, planted in 1987 on the banks of Lake Arancio as the ideal place for the cultivation of this traditional French variety.

WINEMAKING

The harvest took place in mid-September. Destalking followed by 14 days on the skins; fermentation at 28°C; after racking malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

AGEING

The wine was aged in Allier oak barrels (50% new) for 14 months.

TASTING NOTES

A bewitching wine... Its uniqueness emerges in a particular way with a diverse but lively structure of tannins and with its strong and intensely savory taste. This version of a densely ruby-colored Merlot, so rich with the sweet juice of black currant and candied violet which alternates with thyme and lavender, cannot pass unnoticed either by the palate of a refined taste or by that of an enthusiastic novice. It is a multi-faceted and intriguing red wine which combines the pleasure of tannin with an extraordinary persistence of taste.
Although it can so easily be drunk on its own, its elegance renders it appropriate with white meat even when cooked with a sauce of considerable flavor, or with delicate fish (cooked without lemon) or even with baked vegetables.