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Donnafugata Ben Ryé
Passito di Pantelleria DOC, Sicilia
Ben Ryé 2017 offers an extraordinary rich bouquet with outstanding aromas of apricots and candied orange peel obtained from the dried grapes. The palate is very fresh and intense, balancing perfectly the sweetness with a long and satisfying persistence.
Food Pairings
Technical Info
Food Pairings
Extraordinary alone or pair with caramelized duck, foie gras and blue cheeses, pastries, chocolate and jam or ricotta tarts.
Technical Info
- DENOMINATION: Passito di Pantelleria DOC.
- GRAPES: Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria).
- PRODUCTION AREA: island of Pantelleria (South-Western Sicily); districts of Khamma, Tracino, Mueggen, Serraglia, Gibbiuna, Barone, Martingana, Bukkuram, Favarotta, Punta Karace, Bugeber, Karuscia.
- TERRAINS & CLIMATE: altitude from 20 to 400 m a.m.s.l. (65-1,312 ft); complex orography, typically volcanic, soils mainly cultivated on terraced slopes; sandy soils, originating from lava, that vary between sub-acidic and neutral reaction; deep, fertile soils, well-endowed with minerals. Mild, dry winters. Windy summers.
- VINEYARD: the vines are cultivated, in hollows, low alberello pantesco. The low bush vine of Pantelleria has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a “creative and sustainable” practice. Planting density of 2,500 plants per hectare (1,000 an acre) with a yield of about 4–5 tons per hectare (1,6-2 tons an acre). The average age of the vines is about 60 years; some are ungrafted and survived phylloxera exceeding 100 years in age.
- VINTAGE: with about 379 mm* of rainfall in 2017 compared to an average of 434 mm** in this area, the vintage was less rainy. This resulted in the need, in some vineyards, to perform cluster thinning in order to balance the crop load with soil water availability, to favor optimal ripening of grapes. On Pantelleria, in quantitative terms, a drop of about 20% was registered compared to the company's average of recent vintages. *VINTAGE: in Pantelleria we consider the period from October 1 to September 30; RAINFALL: data collected by SIAS, (Sicilian Agrometeorological Service); **the average is calculated from vintage 2013 to vintage 2017.
- HARVESTING: manual harvesting of grapes into crates with careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. The Zibibbo harvest at Donnafugata traditionally continues for about 4 weeks, in the districts where the company has its vineyards that differ in altitude, exposure, proximity to or distance from the sea; this year, instead, – due to early ripening – the harvest was shorter, starting on August 17th and concluding on September 4th.
- VINIFICATION: once the grapes reach the winery, they undergo further selection on a vibrating table before soft pressing. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at controlled temperatures; the dried grapes – added to the fresh must in several batches – are de-stemmed and selected by hand. During maceration, the dried grapes release their extraordinary legacy of sweetness, freshness and a very personal aroma. The vinification process (fermentation and maceration) last over 1 month. Aging takes place in stainless steel for 8 months and at least 12 months in bottle before being released to the market.
- ANALYSIS DATA: alcohol 14.12% ABV, total acidity 7.3 g/l, pH 3.83, sugar content: 196 g/l.
Ben Ryé 2016 offers an extraordinary rich bouquet with outstanding aromas of apricots and candied orange peel obtained from the dried grapes. The palate is very fresh and intense, balancing perfectly the sweetness with a long and satisfying persistence.
Food Pairings
Technical Info
Food Pairings
Pair with caramelized duck, foie gras and blue cheeses. Extraordinary alone as a meditation wine.
Technical Info
- DENOMINATION: natural sweet white - Passito di Pantelleria DOC
- GRAPES: Zibibbo (Muscat)
- PRODUCTION AREA: island of Pantelleria (South-Western Sicily); districts of Khamma, Mulini, Mueggen, Serraglia, Gibbiuna, Barone, Martingana, Bukkuram, Favarotta, Punta Karace, Bugeber, Karuscia.
- TERRAINS: altitude from 20 to 400 m a.m.s.l. (65-1,312 ft); complex orography, typically volcanic, soils mainly cultivated on terraced slopes; sandy soils, originating from lava, that vary between sub-acidic and neutral reaction; deep, fertile soils, well-endowed with minerals.
- VINEYARD: the vines are cultivated, in hollows, low alberello pantesco. The low bush vine of Pantelleria has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a “creative and sustainable” practice. Planting density of 2,500 plants per hectare (1,011 an acre) with a yield of about 4 – 5 tons/ha (1,62- 2 tons an acre). Some of the vines are ungrafted and survived phylloxera exceeding 100 years in age.
- VINTAGE: To compensate for scarce rainfall during the year and to help the vineyards reach optimal vegetation-production balance, 30% of cluster thinning was performed which allowed us to obtain healthy and well-ripened grapes, in line with the winery’s quality objectives.
- HARVESTING: manual harvesting of grapes into crates with careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. The harvest of the grapes for the production of Ben Ryé began on 17 August with the grapes destined for withering, and ended on 15 September.
- VINIFICATION: Once the grapes reach the winery, they undergo further selection on a vibrating table before soft pressing. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at controlled temperatures; the dried grapes – added to the fresh must in several batches – are de-stemmed and selected by hand. During maceration, the dried grapes release their extraordinary legacy of sweetness, freshness and a very personal aroma. The vinification process (fermentation and maceration) last over 1 month. Aging takes place in stainless steel for 7 months and at least 12 months in bottle before being released to the market.
- ANALYSIS DATA: alcohol 14.27% ABV, total acidity 6.4 g/l, pH 3.75, sugar content: 195 g/l.
Tasting Notes
Ben Ryé 2015 has a brilliant amber color. The nose offers a fragrant and complex bouquet, with notes of fresh apricot and orange zest combined with scents of Mediterranean scrub (thyme and rosemary). The palate amazes with its great freshness and intensity, with a pleasant sweetness balanced by great minerality and lively sapidity. It finishes with a lingering persistence, with a satisfying return of the fruity note. A complex and captivating Passito di Pantelleria, one of the most appreciated Italian sweet wines in the world.
Food Pairings
It matches with caramelized duck, foie gras and blue cheeses. It goes well with pastries and gourmet chocolate like gianduja. Extraordinary alone, as a meditation wine.
Technical Info
- GRAPES: Zibibbo (Muscat).
- PRODUCTION AREA: island of Pantelleria (South-Western Sicily); districts of Khamma, Mulini, Mueggen, Serraglia, Gibbiuna, Barone, Martingana, Bukkuram, Favarotta, Punta Karace, Bugeber, Karuscia.
- TERRAINS: altitude from 20 to 400 m a.m.s.l. (65-1,312 ft); complex orography, typically volcanic, soils mainly cultivated on terraced slopes; sandy soils, originating from lava, that vary between sub-acidic and neutral reaction; deep, fertile soils, well-endowed with minerals.
- VINEYARD: the vines are cultivated, in hollows, low alberello pantesco. The low bush vine of Pantelleria has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a “creative and sustainable” practice. Planting density of 2,500 plants per hectare (1,011 an acre) with a yield of about 5 – 6 tons/ha (2- 2.4 tons an acre). Some of the vines are over 100 years old.
- VINTAGE 2015: The climatic trend recorded for the 2015 vintage was fairly normal, with rainfall almost in line with the average for the island (501 mm). Overall, the vintage was very positive with the quantity and quality of grapes harvested in line with the winery's objectives.
- HARVESTING: manual harvesting of grapes into crates with careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. The harvest of the grapes for the production of Ben Ryé began on 18 August with the grapes destined for withering, and ended on 18 September.
- VINIFICATION: Once the grapes reach the winery, they undergo further selection on a vibrating table before soft pressing. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at controlled temperatures; the dried grapes – added to the fresh must in several batches – are de-stemmed and selected by hand. During maceration, the dried grapes release their extraordinary legacy of sweetness, freshness and a very personal aroma. Aging takes place in stainless steel for 7 months and at least 12 months in bottle before being released to the market.
- ANALYSIS DATA: alcohol 14.35% ABV, total acidity 7.8 g/l, pH 3.72, sugar content: 193 g/l.
Tasting Notes
Brilliant amber, Ben Ryé 2014 surprises with it freshness and complexity. The bouquet is intense and fragrant: typical aromas of apricots and candied citrus zest combined with balsamic scents of Mediterranean scrub and sweet notes of honey and fresh figs. The palate is well defined and intense, with pleasant sweetness well balanced by a fresh vein of acidity and lively sapidity. It finishes with a lingering persistence. A captivating Passito di Pantelleria, one of the most appreciated Italian sweet wines in the world.
Food Pairings
It pairs well with caramelized duck, foie gras and blue cheeses. It goes well with pastries and gourmet chocolate like gianduja. Extraordinary alone, as a meditation wine.
Technical Info
- GRAPES: Zibibbo (Muscat).
- PRODUCTION AREA: island of Pantelleria (South-Western Sicily); districts of Khamma, Mulini, Mueggen, Serraglia, Gibbiuna, Barone, Martingana, Bukkuram, Favarotta, Punta Karace, Bugeber, Karuscia.
- TERRAINS: altitude from 20 to 400 m a.m.s.l. (65-1,312 ft); complex orography, typically volcanic, soils mainly cultivated on terraced slopes; sandy soils, originating from lava, that vary between sub-acidic and neutral reaction; deep, fertile soils, well-endowed with minerals.
- VINEYARD: vines are cultivated, in hollows, low 'alberello pantesco'. The low bush vine of Pantelleria has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a 'creative and sustainable practice'. Planting densities of 2.500 plants per hectare (1.011 an acre) with and yields of about 4 tons (1.6 tons an acre); about 1.6 kg per plant.
- VINTAGE 2014: The climatic trend recorded on Pantelleria from 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014 was fairly normal, with slightly less rainfall (488 mm) than (516 mm) the 2013 vintage. Temperatures, on average, were lower, as in the rest of Sicily, with a stable and moderately warm climate.
- HARVESTING: manual harvesting of grapes into crates with careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. The harvest of the grapes for the production of Ben Ryé began on 18 August with the grapes destined for withering, and ended on 18 September.
- VINIFICATION: Once the grapes reach the winery, they undergo further selection on a vibrating table before soft pressing. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at controlled temperatures; the dried grapes – added to the fresh must in several batches – are de-stemmed and selected by hand. During maceration, the dried grapes release their extraordinary legacy of sweetness, freshness and a very personal aroma. Aging takes place in stainless steel for 7 months and at least 12 months in bottle before being released to the market.
- ANALYSIS DATA: alcohol 14.40% ABV, total acidity 7.9 g/l, pH 3.72, sugar content: 199 g/l.
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