Vineyard and winemaking
Bianco di Morgante begins with red-skinned Nero d'Avola grown in the hills around Grotte, between 350 and 550 metres above sea level. Clay, limestone and marl soils give the fruit character and freshness, but the wine takes an entirely unexpected route by treating Sicily's emblematic red grape as a white.
The hand-harvested bunches are pressed delicately so that the juice has minimal contact with the dark skins, then fermented at controlled temperature in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation is avoided and the 2021 rests for several months on fine lees, preserving acidity while adding subtle texture.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Pale lemon yellow with green-gold highlights and bright clarity.
Nose
Green apple, white peach and jasmine are joined by preserved lemon, pineapple and a fine note of wild herbs and flint.
Palate
Vivid and lightly textured, with citrus and orchard fruit set against a saline-mineral line. Fine lees bring gentle breadth, while the absence of malolactic fermentation keeps the finish crisp, dry and almond-fresh. It is Nero d'Avola in an eccentric, genuinely illuminating form.
Food pairing
Pair with grilled cuttlefish, crab linguine, courgette flowers or chicken with capers and lemon. Its combination of salinity and subtle body also works with fresh sheep's cheese or a plate of fried whitebait.
Background story
In 1994 Antonio Morgante and his sons Carmelo and Giovanni began bottling their own wines after generations of growing grapes around Grotte. Their collaboration with consultant Riccardo Cotarella from 1997 helped establish an estate devoted above all to revealing the range of Sicily's Nero d'Avola.
Bianco di Morgante is the clearest example of that curiosity. By pressing a red grape directly and excluding its skins from fermentation, the family uncovers a pale, saline and aromatic side of Nero d'Avola that conventional red vinification cannot show: eccentricity at its most purposeful.
