I have reviewed six wines from Arianna Occhipinti, from the 2021 to 2023 vintages, all from Terre Siciliane. Scores range from 93 to 98, averaging 96; the highest is the 2021 Arianna Occhipinti “Passo Nero” (98 points). Arianna Occhipinti also features in one journal article on this site.
Arianna Occhipinti is a global icon of the natural wine movement and a fierce defender of the terroir of Vittoria, in Sicily’s southeastern corner. She fell in love with wine at 16, harvesting at her uncle Giusto Occhipinti’s COS estate, studied enology in Milan, and came home determined to farm organically and work with native fermentations, minimal sulfur and no filtration. She started with a single hectare in her early twenties and built a philosophy on biodiversity and respect for the soil.
Her vineyards grow Frappato, Nero d’Avola, Zibibbo and Albanello in red sand close to the sea, and her wines break with Sicily’s image of heavy, dark reds. SP68 Rosso, the breakthrough wine, is Frappato and Nero d’Avola fermented naturally and aged in concrete: red-fruited, herbal, light yet ethereal. Il Frappato, her flagship, aged in Slavonian oak, is pale in colour but strong in presence, with red cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and Sicilian herbs. PT, from the Pettineo vineyard, is a more structured, contemplative Frappato, and Il Siccagno shows how old-vine Nero d’Avola can be deeply soulful.
The SP68 Bianco unites Zibibbo and Albanello into a fragrant, textured white of orange blossom and sea breeze, and Passo Nero, a Nero d’Avola made from dried grapes, is dark, wild and haunting, like a Sicilian amaro. These are not wines that shout: they breathe, and reveal themselves slowly.
The Nero d’Avola passito receives its rare distinction because the winemaker dries the grapes before conducting a bone-dry fermentation. This
2021 Arianna Occhipinti “Passo Nero” Passito Terre Siciliane Read Post »
Some winemakers create wines beyond taste which seem to have a life of their own. They tell stories. They alter
The Nero d’Avola passito receives its rare distinction because the winemaker dries the grapes before conducting a bone-dry fermentation. This
Frappato grapes from Pettineo single vineyard benefit from old contrada conditions to produce wines that are both more complex and
Arianna’s flagship red. The wine comes from 100% Frappato grapes which are aged in Slavonian oak barrels. The wine presents
Her breakthrough wine established her reputation in the wine industry. This wine comes from natural fermentation of Frappato and Nero
The white wine unites Zibibbo and Albanello grapes to showcase Muscat’s floral essence while maintaining the rocky Mediterranean soil characteristics.
