Feudo Montoni, Lagnusa, Nero d’Avola, Sicily 2020

“The organic 2020 Sicilia Nero d’Avola Lagnusa reveals warm-vintage definition with soft and round sensations in the mouth. Aged only in cement and bottle, the wine shows a strong focus on primary fruit with plump cherry, blackberry and potting soil. This is a large production of 124,800 bottles, although these results feel natural and genuine nonetheless.”-90WA

Rosario Sireci purchased the Feudo Montoni estate in the late 1800s upon discovering a wealth of ancient vines and passed down the property and closely held “secret knowledge” to his son and grandson. “Our wines are manipulated as little as possible by human intervention,” says Fabio Sireci of his family’s methods, which employ the “cru concept” of bottling a wine from the best grapes in a single vineyard. Feudo Montoni’s pre-phylloxera vineyard, for example, is planted with native Nero d’Avola clones.

Today, the certified organic winery produces many of Italy’s most celebrated 100% indigenous varietals—Perricone, Nerello Mascalese, Catarratto, Grillo, Inzolia and Passito—in addition to the purest expression of Nero d’Avola.

Sireci is particularly proud of the organic farming methods, artisanal cellar practices and renewable energy sources he’s implemented and maintained, which he says preserves the grapes’ natural flavors and nuances. “We keep the vines rustic, so the foliage is free to express itself,” he says. “The vineyards are not fertilized—we condition the land by sowing broad beans and peas, and we do not use any chemical products.”

All operations in the vineyard are undertaken completely by hand, and the results speak for themselves: thanks to the Sireci family’s dedication and the vineyards’ high altitude, fluctuating temperatures, plentiful rainfall and neighboring olive and wheat plots, Feudo Montoni wines have staked their claim among the finest in the region.