Valle dell'Acate
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Country of Origin: Italy
Location: Ragusa, Sicily
People: Gaetana Jacono, Owner & Winemaker
Viticulture: Certified Organic
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Media Links
Chicago Tribune: Nero d'Avola is king in Sicily, but another red grape turning heads
Wine Enthusiast: Red-Hot Sicily's Top Wine Regions
The Boston Globe: The next generation of Sicilian winemakers
James Suckling: Wines from Sicily - Valle dell'Acate Frappato
The Sicilian winery of Valle dell’Acate has a long and storied history amongst the top estates in Sicily, as the Jacono family can trace back their winemaking roots here to the nineteenth century. It is located in the southeastern corner of Sicily, on the elegant Bidini Manor in the hills of the Dirillo Valley. The estate comprises over one hundred hectares of land, both for grapevines as well as Sicily’s famous blood oranges.
Under the direction of the current head of the family winery, the elegant Gaetana Jacono (sixth generation), many of the vineyards have been replanted to the great traditional grapes of Sicily, which are farmed organically. With the same love that tied her ancestors to the vines, along with marked entrepreneurial insight, Gaetana has devoted herself to the production of Sicilian wines - a production that has earned great recognition, even on the international scene.
The estate produces one of the finest examples of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, traditionally Sicily’s greatest wine. Cerasuolo di Vittoria was the first red wine in all of Sicily to achieve DOCG status, and to this day it continues to be one of Sicily’s greatest reds. The estate’s Cerasuolo di Vittoria is made of a blend of seventy percent Nero d’Avola and thirty percent Frappato, with the Nero d’Avola spending time in predominantly used barrique prior to bottling. The wine receives eight to nine more months of aging in bottle prior to release, allowing for the traditionally broad and velvety style of Cerasuolo di Vittoria to emerge prior to release. This is a full-bodied and complex wine, combining the dark spice notes of Nero d’Avola with the high-toned floral aspects of the Frappato. This harmonious blend displays supple tannins and sound acids to keep the wine fresh and bouncy on the palate. Valle dell'Acate wines have shown themselves to be an authentic expression of the history and character of this land.
From Vinous 12/2016
"An important, historic estate owned by the Jacono and Ferrero families and led brilliantly today by Gaetana Jacono and Francesco Ferrero, Valle dell’Acate has gone from strength to strength over the years. The Frappato is a marvelous medium-bodied, fresh, perfumed red and the Cerasuolo di Vittoria is also a standout this year."
From Wine Advocate 2/2013
"Valle dell’Acate’s lineup is full of reasonably priced wines full of varietal and regional character. It is impossible to go wrong with any of these flavorful offerings."
From Gambero Rosso 2012
“Valle dell’Acate has been considered one of the best wine areas in Sicily since it was colonized by the Greeks, who probably introduced the bush-training system still widely used in the area. The Jacono family estate, with Tania as its driving force, has worked in the birthplace of Nero d’Avola for six generations now. The winery continues to support native grape varieties and promote the local area through the eco-sustainable production of fine quality wines.”