Di Giovanna Helios Bianco 2016
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Suckling
James
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
This wine is a perfect partner for sushi and sashimi, rich Mediterranean fish dishes, goat cheese, toasted almonds and walnuts.
Blend: 70% Grillo, 30% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fruity and flavorful white with lemon and cooked apple character on the nose and palate. Medium to full body. Crisp acidity.
The Di Giovanna family produces wines and extra virgin olive oil in Sambuca di Sicilia, in the province of Agrigento, and in Contessa Entellina, province of Palermo. The company is run by Aurelio and Barbara Di Giovanna and their sons Gunther and Klaus. The property covers almost 100 hectares and consists of 56 hectares of vineyards, 13 of olive groves, wheat fields and forests.
The five family estates (Miccina, Gerbino, Paradiso, San Giacomo and Fiuminello) are found in the small DOC of Contessa Entellina and Sambuca di Sicilia, in the heart of Terre Sicane.
The Miccina, Gerbino and Paradiso vineyards are located at an average altitude between 350 and 480 meters above sea level, in the Contessa Entellina area.
The San Giacomo and Fiuminello vineyards (680-830 masl) climb the slopes of Monte Genuardo and surround the winery. The new vineyards, after careful micro-climatic studies, were planted by choosing international and native varieties. The white varieties include Chardonnay, Grillo and Viognier. The red ones: Nero d'Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Syrah.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.