Feudo Montoni, Lagnusa, Nero d’Avola, Sicily 2021

“Lush and creamy in texture, with flavors of raspberry puree, dried cherry, star anise and violet gliding across the palate. Well-honed, succulent acidity keeps this fresh and focused, while a minerally underpinning of stone and smoke emerges to drive the lightly chewy finish. Drink now through 2029.”-91WS

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.