2005 Mille e Una Notte Contessa Entellina DOC

A noble version of Nero d'Avola with a dense ruby-red colour. A wine with a big structure and a remarkable personality.

Every vintage of this special wine has won the top award of 3 Glasses from the most famous Italian wine guide, published by Gambero Rosso.

Story of the wine
One of the functions of pioneering wine producers such as Donnafugata is to stretch the boundaries of what is capable of being produced. Wines such as Mille e Una Notte (literally One Thousand and One Nights; a reference to the influence of the Arabs in Sicily from the 9th to 11th centuries) do just that by exhibiting a depth, structure and intensity of flavour. The other important aspect is that wines such as this use local Sicilian grape that indicate their true potential. The label shows the palace at Santa Margherita Belice in the hills behind Marsala, which was also the favourite residence of the famous Sicilian author Tomasi di Lampedusa. The first vintage of this wine was in 1995.

Tasting Notes
Dark and deep ruby red; complex bouquet which opens at the contact with air, very ripe red and black berries with spices, herbs, tobacco leaves and new wood; the palate is dense, fresh and smooth, with perfectly matured tannins; very long finish.

Matching
Extremely complex dishes of red meats and sauces enriched by herbs. Try the wine with cheese, roast mutton and veal and lamb chops.

Winemaking Notes
Nero d’Avola 90% and others 10%
Vinified with maceration at a temperature of between 26-30°C. Malolactic fermentation completed. It aged 15-18 months in mainly new French oak barriques and a further 12 months in bottle before release.