Rossojbleo 2024, Gulfi

Rossojbleo is a juicy, fragrant Sicilian red made entirely from Nero d’Avola. The grapes come from several vineyards around Chiaramonte Gulfi and Ragoleti in the Hyblean Mountains. These inland sites sit around 1,475 feet above sea level, where the vines grow in clay and limestone soils and are farmed organically without irrigation.

Gulfi typically harvests in late September and keeps skin contact brief during temperature-controlled fermentation, giving the wine its supple structure. Malolactic fermentation and maturation take place in stainless steel, followed by a few months in bottle. It’s made to enjoy young, while the fruit is at its brightest.

Ruby red with violet reflections, Rossojbleo opens with cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate, followed by light floral notes, dried herbs, and a little earthiness. The palate is juicy and lively, with smooth tannins and a tart pomegranate note that gives the finish a little snap.

Give it a slight chill and pour it with antipasti, then keep it on the table for pasta alla Norma, turkey meatballs in tomato and fennel sauce, or roast chicken. It’s also a lovely red for Sicilian swordfish rolls stuffed with breadcrumbs, raisins, and pine nuts.

About the Winery

Gulfi’s story begins with a homecoming. In the mid-1990s, Vito Catania returned to his family’s Sicilian winegrowing heritage, developing the modern estate in 1996 around Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the province of Ragusa. His family had cultivated vines and olives for generations; his ambition was to give that inheritance a wider voice, especially through Sicily’s signature red grape, Nero d’Avola.

Working with Sicilian winemaker Salvo Foti, Catania helped shape a project built around the individuality of vineyards. Gulfi’s holdings extend across three distinct areas: the elevated Monti Iblei near Chiaramonte Gulfi, the sun-drenched countryside around Pachino in the southeast, and the northern slopes of Mount Etna. Keeping those places distinct has become central to the estate’s identity.

That thinking is especially clear in Gulfi’s separate vineyard bottlings of Nero d’Avola from Pachino. The grape remains the same, but each site offers its own interpretation. It is a persuasive argument for looking beyond a variety’s reputation and paying attention to the address where it grows. Gulfi Cantina

Organic cultivation, farming without irrigation, and traditional vine training underpin the work in the vineyard. In the cellar, the approach is deliberately restrained, allowing differences in fruit and place to remain visible. Vito’s sons, Matteo and Raffaele, continue the family’s work today.

Even the labels connect the wines to Sicily. Their image of Eros and Psyche draws on an ancient mosaic at Piazza Armerina, linking the estate’s love of its land with the pleasure of sharing what it produces. It is a fitting emblem for a winery whose ambitions begin in the vineyard and end around a table.