2006 Tancredi Contessa Entellina DOC

A top Sicilian wine with a nod to international flavours. A blend of Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon gives it elegance and a powerful lasting finish.

Story of the wine
Tancredi is named after the hero of the book The Leopard by Tommaso di Lampedusa (made into a film by Luchino Visconti and starring Burt Lancaster). Lampedusa was a local nobleman and originally owned some of the vineyards currently part of the Donnafugata estate. 

Tasting Notes
The Cabernet gives the Nero d'Avola a touch of mint, enriching its substantial supply of scents. Notes of licorice, cocoa, cherries and bilberries against a sweetish background. The flavours are well-structured, full, absorbing and remarkably persistent.

Matching
Grilled or roasted red meats, imposing roasts, kid and lamb. Aged cheese. Porcini mushrooms, rabbit and polpettone (meat loaf).

Winemaking Notes
70% Nero d’Avola and 30%Cabernet Sauvignon
After a 12-day maceration it is fermented at a controlled temperature of 26-30C in stainless steel vats. There is a total malolactic fermentation.
The wine spends 14 months in small French oak barrels, then up to 4 months in bottle before release.