2024 Tenuta Rapitalà "Alte Reale" Nero d'Avola, Sicily, Italy

ABOUT THIS WINE

“Alte Reale” showcases Nero d'Avola from Tenuta Rapitalà's vineyards in western Sicily, where the combination of elevation, warm sunlight, and cooling Mediterranean breezes allows the grapes to reach full flavor maturity while retaining natural freshness. The estate's hillside vineyards provide an important distinction from warmer, flatter sites, giving the wine additional aromatic lift and balance.

The fruit is harvested at optimal maturity and carefully selected before fermentation. Controlled-temperature maceration and fermentation extract color, fruit, and tannin while preserving the grape's natural freshness. The wine undergoes maturation in oak, allowing the structure of Nero d'Avola to soften and develop savory complexity while keeping the fruit at the center of the profile.

The 2024 vintage emphasizes the variety's vibrant dark-fruit character and approachable texture. It is particularly well suited to the table, pairing beautifully with grilled lamb, beef, roasted pork, wild boar ragù, eggplant, mushroom dishes, and richly seasoned Sicilian cuisine.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Tenuta Rapitalà is a historic estate in Camporeale, in the hills of western Sicily. The estate's vineyards benefit from altitude and a Mediterranean climate, with significant diurnal variation that helps maintain acidity and aromatic freshness despite the region's abundant sunshine.

Rapitalà combines a deep connection to Sicily's native varieties with contemporary vineyard management and cellar techniques. The estate places particular emphasis on sustainable stewardship, careful vineyard selection, and expressing the distinctive combination of altitude, soil, and climate found in the Camporeale hills.

“Alte Reale” reflects this philosophy particularly well: it takes the naturally generous character of Nero d'Avola and gives it greater definition, freshness, and polish, resulting in a sophisticated expression of one of Sicily's defining red grapes.