Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco – A Succulent Sicilian

An excellent Sicilian white made mostly from indigenous grapes, the Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco.

A blend of indigenous Sicilian grapes, mostly Lucido (Catarratto) and Ansonica plus a small amount of other international varieties from southwest Sicily, Italy. The wine was fermented and aged for a short period in stainless steel.

Sample submitted for review. The Donnafugata Anthilia has an SRP of $17 and is available for as low as $12. It is imported by Folio Fine Wine Partners, The Michael Mondavi Family.

Today’s wine comes from Sicily which surprisingly (to me at least) accounts for over 15% of Italy’s total vineyard land. This doesn’t necessarily sound huge until you realize that it translates to more than the whole country of South Africa and almost as much as Australia!

And of these vast Sicilian vineyards the acres devoted to the Catarratto grape account for about one third. (Nero d’Avola is the second most produced grape and top red.) Much of the Catarratto that is produced is blended with Inzolia and Grillo to make the famous Marsala wine, a fortified wine similar to Port, but lucky for us a growing amount of these indigenous grapes are being used to produce excellent and affordable everyday wines.

The 2019 Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia Bianco begins with a nice crisp and fruity aroma of green apple, pear, peaches, lemon, lime and a touch of tropical fruit. Tasting the wine reveals a nicely tart combination of green apple, a little grapefruit, pear and creamy lemon/lime zest. This delicious wine has a great lively yet soft texture, good acidity and excellent underlying minerality. On the quite long and lingering finish that minerality turns chalky and comes to the front. Excellent!

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