At Contessa Entellina - 302 hectares in the heart of western Sicily - in the 2021 vintage there were 615 mm of rain, just under the 645 mm average for that area: rainfall was concentrated in winter, especially in the months of February and March, while spring was dry; in this season the delicate phases of flowering and fruit setting took place regularly. At the end of June there was a slowdown in the vegetative phase of the plants, which was then compensated for by the lower temperatures in July. A heat wave in the first two weeks of August accelerated the ripening of the earliest varieties. The entire vegetative-production cycle was accompanied by intense and careful work in the vineyard and so it ended regularly. The quantity of grapes produced was slightly higher than in 2020 which - it must be remembered - was below the average. The quality was fully in line with the company objectives, oriented towards high-quality productions.

*The precipitation data are collected by SIAS, Sicilian Agrometeorological Service; the rainfall recorded from October 1st to September 30th of the following year is taken into account; the average is calculated starting from the 2003 harvest.

Vinification in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for about 6-8 days at a temperature of 24-25 °C (75-79°F). After malolactic fermentation, the wine fines for about 4 months in tanks and then for at least 3 months in the bottle.

Varietal: Nero d'Avola
Production Zone: South-western Sicily, Contessa Entellina Estate and nearby areas.
Denomination: Red - Nero d'Avola Sicilia DOC
Alcohol: 13.73 % vol.
Total Acidity: 5.9 g/l.
pH: 3.38

Terrains & Climate: altitude from 200 to 400 m a.m.s.l. (656- 1,312 ft); hilly orography; clay loam soils with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 7.9) rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc) and total limestone from 20 to 35%. Mild winters with little rainfall. Warm, dry, ventilated summers. Substantial differences between day and night-time temperatures.
Vineyard: VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) training with spurred cordon pruning g, leaving 6 to 10 buds per plant. Planting density of about 5,000 plants per hectare, with yields of 7.5 - 8.5 tons/ha (3.0 - 3.4 tons/acres).

• DENOMINATION: Red - Nero d'Avola Sicilia DOC
• GRAPE: Nero d'Avola.
• PRODUCTION ZONE: South-western Sicily, Contessa Entellina Estate and nearby areas.
• TERRAINS & CLIMATE: altitude from 200 to 600 m a.m.s.l. (656- 1,312 ft); hilly orography; clay loam soils with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 7.9) rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc) and total limestone from 20 to 35%.  Mild winters with little rainfall.  Warm, dry, ventilated summers. Substantial difference between day and nighttime temperatures.
• VINEYARD: VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) training with spurred cordon pruning, leaving 6 to 10 buds per plant. Planting density of about 5,000 plants per hectare, with yields of 7.5 - 8.5 tons/ha (3.0 - 3.4 tons/acres).
• VINTAGE:  in Contessa Entellina after two little rainy years, in 2018 743 mm of rainfall were recorded, a figure that is above the average * (667 mm) of this territory. Most of the rainfall was distributed in spring; only in some plots there have been heavy precipitations in the summer. The integrated management of agronomic practices, from pruning to thinning to the choice of different harvesting moments, inspired by an eco-sustainable viticulture, has allowed us to have healthy and wellripened grapes. *(precipitation average calculated from the 2003 harvest and measured by SIAS, Sicilian Agrometeorological Service)
• HARVESTING: The Nero d’Avola destined for the production of Sherazade was harvested between the last week of August and the first week of September.
• VINIFICATION: in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for about 6-8 days at a temperature of 24-25 °C (75- 79°F). After malolactic fermentation, the wine fines for about 4 months in tanks and then for at least 3 months in the bottle.
• ANALYTICAL DATA: alcohol 13.26 % vol., total acidity: 5.6 g/l., pH: 3.49

• DENOMINATION: Red - Nero d'Avola Sicilia DOC
• GRAPE: Nero d'Avola.
• PRODUCTION ZONE: South-western Sicily, Contessa Entellina Estate and nearby areas.
• TERRAINS: altitude from 200 to 600 m a.m.s.l. (656- 1,312 ft); hilly orography; clay loam soils with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 7.9) rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc) and total limestone from 20 to 35%.
• VINEYARD: VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) training with spurred cordon pruning g, leaving 6 to 10 buds per plant. Planting density of about 5,000 plants per hectare, with yields of 7.5 - 8.5 tons/ha (3.0 - 3.4 tons/acres).
• VINTAGE: At Contessa Entellina in the year 2017, 555 mm of rain was recorded, a figure that is slightly below the average*(661 mm) of this territory. Since rainfall was mainly concentrated in autumn and winter, during the summer months of June and July, we intervened with emergency irrigation. Thus the vineyards were able to complete the vegetation-production cycle in a regular manner. Regarding temperatures, between July and August, values were higher than seasonal averages and this resulted in the ripening of all the varieties cultivated in the area 1-2 weeks earlier than usual. Despite the peak temperatures, in this period of the summer, good temperature ranges between day and night have given healthy grapes with an excellent aromatic and phenolic maturation. Furthermore, there was a quantitative decrease of about 15% compared to the company average. Thanks to a careful management of agronomic practices and vinifications, the quality of the vintage is positive: the ideal phenolic ripeness given reds of great elegance. (*VINTAGE: in Contessa Entellina we consider the period from October 1 to September 30; RAINFALL: average obtained from SIAS, (Sicilian Agrometeorological Service), the average is calculated at Contessa Entellina from the harvest 2003).
• HARVESTING: The Nero d’Avola destined for the production of Sherazade was harvested in the first ten days of September.
• VINIFICATION: in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for about 6-8 days at a temperature of 24-25 °C (75- 79°F). After malolactic fermentation, the wine fines for about 4 months in tanks and then for at least 3 months in the bottle.
• ANALYTICAL DATA: alcohol 13.05 % vol., total acidity: 5.2 g/l., pH: 3.53

• GRAPE: Nero d'Avola.
• PRODUCTION ZONE: South-western Sicily, Contessa Entellina Estate and nearby areas.
• TERRAINS: altitude from 200 to 600 m a.m.s.l. (656- 1,312 ft); hilly orography; clay loam soils with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 7.9) rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc) and total limestone from 20 to 35%.
• VINEYARD: VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) training with spurred cordon pruning g, leaving 6 to 10 buds per plant. Planting density of about 5,000 plants per hectare, with yields of 7.5 - 8.5 tons/ha (3.0 - 3.4 tons/acres).
• VINTAGE 2016: The 2016 vintage was characterized by a fairly balanced climatic trend, marked by a mild spring and a summer without excessive peaks of heat, allowing the vineyard to continue the vegetative cycle in a balanced way. Overall, from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016, 590 mm of rainfall was recorded, a slightly lower figure compared to seasonal averages. Careful vineyard management allowed us to bring into the winery healthy and well-ripened grapes, a premise of quality, long-lived wines.
• HARVESTING: The Nero d’Avola destined for the production of Sherazade was harvested in the first ten days of September.
• VINIFICATION: in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for about 6-8 days at a temperature of 24-25 °C (75- 79°F). After malolactic fermentation, the wine fines for about 2 months in tanks and then for almost 3 months in the bottle.
• ANALYTICAL DATA: alcohol 12.82 % vol., total acidity: 5.4 g/l., pH: 3.39

• GRAPE: Nero d'Avola.
• PRODUCTION ZONE: South-western Sicily, Contessa Entellina Estate and nearby areas.
• TERRAINS: altitude from 200 to 600 m a.m.s.l. (656- 1,312 ft); hilly orography; clay loam soils with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 7.9) rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc) and total limestone from 20 to 35%.
• VINEYARD: VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) training with spurred cordon pruning g, leaving 6 to 10 buds per plant. Planting density of about 5,000 plants per hectare and yields of about 7.5 tons (3 tons an acre); about 1.4 kg per plant
• VINTAGE 2015: Up to the end of June, the 2015 vintage was characterized by a climatic trend that was cooler and rainier than seasonal averages. Overall, from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015, rainfall reached 763 mm compared to the 656 average of the last 10 years. In July the maximum temperatures recorded were higher than the average values for the period which favored the ripening process of the grapes. The considerable temperature fluctuations between day and night favored the concentration of aromatic precursors in the grapes.
• HARVESTING: The Nero d’Avola destined for the production of Sherazade was harvested in the first ten days of September.
• VINIFICATION: in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for about 6-8 days at a temperature of 24-25 °C (75- 79°F). After malolactic fermentation, the wine fines for about 2 months in tanks and then for almost 3 months in the bottle.
• ANALYSIS DATA: alcohol 12.86 %, total acidity 5. g/l, 4pH 3.45.