Mandrarossa – Two Contrasting Wines from Menfishire
Mandrarossa is the premium brand of Cantine Settesoli, an important Sicilian cooperative on the south-western coast of Sicily, at Menfi, in what has become known as Menfishire.
Settesoli began in 1958, initially with 68 growers, and its first vintage was in 1965. By the seventies, they were one of the first wineries in Sicily to bottle their wines and start exporting.
Today it’s a colossal organisation with 2,000 members, 35 different grape varieties, 5,700 hectares of vineyards (of which 1,098 are certified organic), and 20 million bottles per year. While its roots are in bulk wine production, those days are largely over. Down the years, expansion has also been into other Sicilian wine areas such as Etna and Pantelleria. In the UK it’s probably best known for the successful Inycon supermarket brand.
In 1999, it created a new premium brand, Mandrarossa, which is where our story begins.
Mandrarossa
Mandrarossa’s launch marked the culmination of twenty years of precision mapping of soil types, matching grape varieties to them and testing the experimental results with micro-vinifications.
Now, after more than 25 years, the Mandrarossa vineyards total 506 hectares in size and are farmed by 160 growers. Including Menfishire, Pantelleria and Etna, there are 27 different wines from 19 native and international grape varieties. In 2021, a brand new Mandrarossa eco-winery opened, solely for the brand.
There are conventional and organic wines, and importantly, Mandrarossa is also part of the VIVA program and SOStain Sicilia.
SOStain is based on the fact that the impact of winegrowing goes far beyond the vineyards and the economy. For example, it also impacts the welfare of workers, the health of consumers, the involvement of local communities, the enhancement of the surrounding territory, and the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
Menfishire
The area around Menfi has become known as “Menfishire,” a large strip of land overlooking the Mediterranean with the town of Menfi at its heart.
Winegrowing here stretches back more than 6,000 years, to the Sicanian people. This was long before the Phoenicians and Ancient Greeks arrived. Indeed, amphorae raised from the seabed show that it was also important for wine trading around the Mediterranean.
Present-day Menfishire has 3,600 hectares of vines in total, yet the amount devoted to the appellation Menfi DOC is only 199 hectares. In my opinion, this is unfortunate because Menfi deserves to be better known, and the DOC can accommodate 25 different grape varieties in various styles. Furthermore, Menfi was also the Italian City of Wine in 2023. However, in commercial terms, designations such as Sicilia DOC or Terre Siciliane IGP have far more name recognition, especially abroad.
Menfishire has a benign arid-Mediterranean climate. The sirocco wind moderates temperatures, and there’s also intense sunlight. The sea is crystal clear and the air briny. This region has wild macchia scrubland, olive groves, cereals, fruit and vegetables, and of course, vineyards.
While the vineyards reach 440 metres in altitude on the hilly inland sites, they steadily descend to the shoreline. There is a mosaic of five main soil types, ranging from limestone hills to sandy beaches, with calcareous clays, marine sediments and river deposits.
The two wines
With such a wide range of Mandrarossa wines to choose from, here are two contrasting varietal wines that illustrate how this terroir can suit very different needs. Hence, there’s a white international grape variety (Menfi DOC Sauvignon Blanc) and a red autochthonous variety (Sicilia DOC Nero d’Avola). Both wines are therefore from well-known grape varieties. They are also the current releases.
Urra di Mare, Sauvignon Blanc, Menfi DOC, Sicily, 2024. 12%
Mandrarossa Urra di Mare
Technical
Loosely translated as “celebration of the sea”, Urra di Mare is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and the only Menfi DOC in the current range.
The vineyards for this wine face south-west and are located between 80 and 350 metres in the area around Menfi, with caressing sea breezes and soils comprising clay and limestone. The grapes were hand-harvested in the first week of August. After crushing and destemming, the must was immediately cooled to 5-8°C for 4-6 hours (a process known as cryomaceration).
Fermentation then took place in stainless-steel tanks for 15-20 days at controlled temperatures of 16-18°C. The new wine was then aged for four months in stainless steel tanks before bottling under a FOR 51 organic cork.
Tasting
The label says this wine is a “new and different expression”, and it really is! New for Mandrarossa but also different to the usual Sauvignon Blanc paradigms – this is no generic copycat.
The wine is a pale golden-yellow. The aromas are intense but not in the usual passionfruit or gooseberry/grass spectrum. Rather, there’s mainly citrus with scents of basil and green herbs. On the palate, there is a rare harmony between lean citric flavours, elegant mineral sensations and moderate alcoholic weight. With impeccable balance and a silky texture, the fresh, clean finale is dry and persistent.
This is a wine that exceeded my expectations; the recognisable varietal character has a particular terroir twist. Drinking now, but no hurry to do so. Will it improve? It’ll be fun finding out!
Food
A gastronomic wine, try Burrata (a house favourite), followed by a simple dish of Tagliatelle with Sicilian lemon paste.
UK Stockists
VINVM £16.50, Shelved Wine £17.45
Cartagho, Nero d’Avola, Sicilia DOC, Sicily, 2021. 13.5%
Mandrarossa Cartagho
Originating in Southeast Sicily (the clue is in the name), Nero d’Avola is now Sicily’s most important red grape variety. Because there are many biotypes and terroirs in Sicily, the best wines are distinctive expressions of where they are made.
Cartagho is no exception, being Mandrarossa’s best grape selection from the harvest of three vineyards with 15 hectares of vines at Contrade Terrenova near Menfi. The vines grow in sandy soils on south-west facing hills at 150 metres.
First released in 2004, it has been much decorated ever since. For example, it’s a regular recipient of Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards and has become a classic wine. Cartagho is named after the Carthaginians. They brought agricultural innovations to Sicily from what is now Tunisia.
Technical
100% Nero d’Avola, fermented in stainless steel for 10 days at 18-22°C. Maturation for 12 months in oak barriques, then 4 months in bottle under a DIAM 10 cork. Decanting for an hour before serving this young red wine helps it to open up.
Tasting
The wine is intense ruby red with a darker core. Initially subdued, the aromatics take a few minutes to open up. Then blackberry and sour cherry appear, followed by nuances of tobacco, vanilla, and cicely (a delicate anise-like scent). The palate surprises too; an initial austerity gradually opens to reveal dark cherry and berry fruit with an attractive tarry note and a little carob.
Texturally, it doesn’t offer the plushness associated with Nero d’Avola from the southeast. Instead, there’s plenty of acidity, while the tannins will take another year or so to fully resolve. The long finish is intriguing, with (for me) a briny tang of capers. Drinking now with food, with more complexity to come, and longevity too. Once again, a distinctive expression – could this ever become a Menfi DOC?
Food
Roast and Grilled meats are a favourite. Grilled organic lamb burgers in a sourdough bun were perfection. Alternatively, how about Merguez sausage, given that Tunisia is less than 100 miles away from Menfi? Or for something authentically Sicilian, try Spaghetti alla Norma.
UK Stockists
And Finally
These two pedigree wines are very different from each other, yet both are from Menfishire and both are distinctive and offer good value. They come with my enthusiastic recommendation, and on this evidence I look forward to discovering more Mandrarossa wines in the future!
Location
Mandrarossa Winery
Cantina Settesoli S.C.A.
Contrada Puccia
92013 Menfi
Agrigento
Sicily
Italy