Firriato Ribeca

In the glass

Aroma: dried cherry, pepper, iron, tobacco

Palate: tart red fruit, structured tannin, mineral, spice

Ribeca is one of Sicily's most important varietal Perricone wines: this nearly extinct native grape produces a wine of austere iron-mineral character, tart red fruit and high acidity that is unlike any other Sicilian red.

What it pairs with

• Spiced lamb skewers
  Perricone's pepper and iron mineral are classical with spice-seasoned lamb.
• Pasta with Sicilian black sausage
  The wine's tartness and iron mineral complement the richness of blood sausage pasta.
• Aged caciocavallo podolico
  High acidity and iron-mineral depth are structural matches for intensely aged cheese.

History

Firriato produced Ribeca as a single-varietal Perricone to champion this near-extinct Sicilian native red grape. Perricone (also called Pignatello) was once widely grown in western Sicily but declined sharply in the 20th century. Firriato's bottling helped revive interest in the variety.

1. 1999 — First Ribeca varietal Perricone produced; among the first modern single-varietal Perricone bottlings

Facts

Producer

Firriato

Grapes

Perricone (100%)

Classification

Sicilia DOC

Oak

Aged in French barriques, 12 months

ABV

14.0%

Price

EUR 18-26 at retail

Drinking window

4-12 from vintage

First vintage

1999

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