The Mandrarossa wines hail from a selection of the best sites within Cantine Settesoli’s 6,000 hectares of vineyard in southwestern Sicily, planted with 32 grape varieties. The vineyards are split between the cooperative’s 2,000 members and cover the area around Selinunte, the hauntingly beautiful ruins of a Greek town founded 2,600 years ago. Cantine Settesoli helps support the restoration of this archaeological site.
First produced in 1999, Mandrarossa opened its own winery in 2021. They have one of the largest solar energy installations in the Italian winemaking sector, with their solar panels fuelling this completely sustainable winery, which is well integrated into the surrounding hills. The vineyards are close to the sea, where intense sunlight, moderating sea breezes, mild temperatures, multiple elevations and a myriad of different soil types combine to create the quality of grapes that they are looking for.
Frappato is a medium size grape, with an ellipsoidal or spherical shape. The skin is thick and leathery, with a violet-blue colour. The wine produced from the Frappato variety is ruby-red in colour, clear and transparent – almost rosé!
The Mandrarossa Frappato has aromas marked by hints of red fruit, mainly wild strawberry and raspberry. Fresh, soft and slightly tannic to the palate. This is a fresh red intriguing for its fruity hints of black cherry and pomegranate on the palate. Really suits being slightly chilled. Perfect for summer picnics and pairing with tuna.
