Alastro-senza-annata

Alastro

Menfi D.O.C.

85% Grecanico, 15% Sauvignon Blanc

Named after a wild flower which grows around our winery, this is a blend based on Grecanico mixed with a small percentage of a notably aromatic variety, Sauvignon Blanc, both cultivated according to the criteria of sustainability and organicity. It is one of Planeta’s great classics, delicately structured, and has been in production since the first vintage in 1995.

Awards

2021 James Suckling 91
2020 James Suckling 92
2019 James Suckling 90
2018 Falstaff 89
2017 Sakura Medaglia d'oro
Wine Advocate 86
2015 Falstaff 90
Wine Enthusiast 88
Vinous 88
5Star Wines 90/100
2014 Decanter World Wine Awards Bronze
Gambero rosso Bere Bene - Oscar Qualità prezzo
Jancis Robinson 15,5
2012 Decanter 90
Sommelier Wine Award Bronze
Gambero Rosso Bere Bene - Oscar Qualità prezzo
Slow Wine Vino quotidiano
2011 James Suckling 91
Gambero Rosso Bere Bene - Oscar Qualità prezzo
2010 International wine Challenge Commended
2009 Jancis Robinson 16,5
2006 Wine Spectator 90
2003 Decanter Silver

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Altimetry

75-250

Above sea level

01

Climate

21°Average temperature

02

Farming system

Spurred cordon, Guyot

Planting density

3.800/5.000 vines per hectare

Now

11.16°C

Cloudiness 6%
Humidity 95%
Wind 1.71mh ↙

First Vintage

1995

See vintages

04
  • 1995
  • 1996
  • 1997
  • 1998
  • 1999
  • 2000
  • 2001
  • 2002
  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2009
  • 2010
  • 2011
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2016
  • 2017
  • A particularly cool harvest, better for reds than whites.
  • A particularly cool August preceding a rainy September produced two results; excellent for early varieties, less good for late.
  • Hot August and cool September with some rain following a winter with little rain.
  • The cycle of hot harvests begins with dry warm weather throughout harvesting.
  • Vintage distinguished by winter and spring with little rain, very hot August and cool dry September.'Hot' whites.
  • Almost perfect vintage for whites with ideally bright hot July and August.
  • A cooler summer (as in 2004) resulted in very fruity full whites for slow maturation.
  • Hardly any rain in winter and spring. Low production and very good quality compared to the rest of Italy. Better whites than reds.
  • More rain than usual refreshed some of the crop, resulting in whites with great fruit and structure.
  • Cold wet winter and spring were a perfect preparation for the vines, harvest began 15 days late with cool temperate weather.Very fresh whites.
  • Abundant spring and winter rain perfectly prepared the vineyards for summer and autumn ripening. The surprisingly fresh and cool temperatures of July, August and September achieved the rest, with the grapes arriving at the winery in perfect condition.
  • A rainy late-autumn and low temperatures, though not excessively so, have laid strong basis to a good vintage . The vines were able to rest in well-soaked soil. After a rainy winter the spring was particularly cool and dry. A mild summer provided for excellent ripening of both white and red grapes.
  • We were cheered in 2006 by an autumn finishing with good October rain that prepared the vines well for their autumn and winter rest. A relatively mild winter followed with temperatures that were never very low and a lower than average rainfall. A weather pattern that coincided with the rest of Italy, with the difference that mild winters are the norm in our area.
  • The result was a superb vintage, the indigenous varieties are absolutely excellent. White wines thanks to the lack of thermal excesses are full-bodied and well balanced and perfectly aromatic. Grecanico wine is particularly excellent, just as the early varieties Chardonnay and Viogner. Fiano wine will get back to its highest quality, such as the 2001 vintage.
  • The average summer temperatures has been excellent: pleasantly cool, regular, without peaks of heat, never above the seasonal average. Balanced solar radiation. The harvest began with a delay of about 10-14 days (August 17). Temperatures have increased markedly since August 20, while maintaining the proper level of humidity and avoiding dehydration and concentration of the fruit. Harvesting grecanico ended the last days of September.
  • Might 2010 be one of the best vintages out of the previous ten? It is early to say but it is certainly a super vintage.
  • The temperatures stayed in the average range and, more importantly, showed no heat spikes. Both September and October were mild, and sporadic rainfalls at the end of the season accomplished the vintage. Menfi and Sambuca. Harvesting started a little earlier compared to the five previous years. The white grapes yielded a significantly lesser quantity and were of outstanding quality, especially the Grecanico variety.
  • The harvest was completed on October 12th, earlier than usual. In general, the grapes are extraordinarily healthy thanks to the lack of rainfall near the harvest. The amount is 10% higher compared to the 2011 vintage that was particularly poor, about 5% below average.
  • It was long and intense with both easy and difficult periods. Eventually it went well and, for some territories, extraordinarily well. We began with the media announcing the harvest of the century. Indeed the preceding weather conditions were very favourable, even though they were very different in the various Sicilian regions.
  • Menfi and Sambuca di Sicilia. A great vintage for two perfectly combined reasons: a rainier spring than the average for the past ten years, especially in June, and therefore vines that face the summer stress-free, and a rain-free period of ripening of the grapes with July, August and September completely dry. To say the least, these are the ideal temperatures and quantity of light, with July cooler since 2004; on the contrary, the brightest September (since 2007) and, to best complete the ripening of the reds, the absolute hottest of the series analyzed. The perfect vintage!
  • A year which enhanced the indigenous varieties, particularly Grecanico, very aromatic, and a glorious Nero d’Avola with fruit, density and compact tannins as never before. Fiano is good, Chardonnay more consistent. Merlot and Syrah at their peak, thanks to the weather. The Cabernet is perhaps slightly rigid.
  • The winter at Menfi in the south-west had little rainfall and temperatures slightly colder than 2015, followed by a beautiful spring with rain in March and showers generally, which prepared the vines well. The cooler summer with average temperatures between June and September being well below those of 2015 contributed to a fine harvest. The result has been aromatic and balanced white wines with Chardonnay, Grecanico and Grillo peaking in quality, and the big French reds with particularly dense and ample tannins thanks to long slow ripening. Nero d’Avola in particular, thanks also to the lower production, is very aromatic and colourful.
  • The harvest had been well prepared thanks to a cool spring, light rainfall (more or less 500mm with the last rain at the beginning of April) but well spaced. Ripening was slightly delayed, but the summer was very favourable until the end of July. At the beginning of August an African anticyclone brought three weeks of high temperatures without a pause. South-western Sicily was the region that suffered most of the heat, which was more intense than in the east. Thus it was necessary to bring the first part of the vintage forward and to give special attention to the harvest; the grapes in question were few but good. Some varieties responded well, due to their intrinsic characteristics, to these conditions – particularly Grecanico, Grillo and Syrah – while others needed more careful selection and faster harvesting (Chardonnay and Nero d’Avola). The second part of the vintage, from 20th August onwards, saw a much improved and almost ideal climate which gained us quality and a slower harvest of red grapes, allowing for a more gradual ripening. Thus at Menfi, more powerful reds but not excessively so, rounder whites and intense reds.
03

Time of Harvest

5

september

06

Vinification

After destalking and soft pressing, the must is decanted at a low temperature and ferments at 15⁰C; when fermentation has finished it matures on the lees for up to 6 months in stainless steel vats where a batonneur holds the lees in suspension.

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Alcohol Content

13%vol.

05

Aging Capacity

To drink at once or age for 4-5 years; Grecanico has a surprising aging capacity.

Tasting Notes
  • Eyes Eyes
  • Nose Nose
  • Mouth Mouth
The transparent straw colour anticipates a light smooth wine.
The blend of Grillo and Sauvignon gives a nose rich with aromas of citrus, peach, tropical fruits and yellow flours, such as broom. In the mouth it is vibrant but creamy and silky with hints of white melon.
But in this case it is misleading as Grecanico hides its strength and complex character within this white wine.
07
Pairings
The contrast between savoury and sweetness confers a gastronomic strength that makes it suitable for matching with simple dishes such as a warm seafood salad as well as with more complex ones like a spicy Asian dish with sweet sour sauce. It can be matched with appetisers of Mediterranean cooking and with vegetarian cookery. Serve at 10⁰C.
Kitchen
With Casa Planeta’s Kitchen
sarde-a-chiappa

Stuffed sardines au gratin

INGREDIENTS Serves 6 to 8

1 kg / 2 lb. 2 oz. sardines

100 g / 3 1/2 oz. Sicilian Pecorino DOP

5 anchovies

120 g / 4 1/2 oz. breadcrumbs

10 capers, rinsed, drained and chopped

1 lemon a sprig of parsley

bay leaves nutmeg

extra-virgin olive oil

salt to taste

pepper to taste

DIFFICULTY 2/5 | PREPARATION TIME 40 minutes

Cut off the fish heads, then open the fish up and remove the backbone. Rinse the fish, pat dry and put them still opened out on a paper towel. In a pan, toast the breadcrumbs with a drizzle of oil. As soon as the breadcrumbs start to brown, remove them from the heat and pour them into a bowl. Remove the backbone from the anchovies, then chop. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, anchovies, Pecorino, grated rind of ½ lemon, parsley, chopped capers, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend the filling well. Drop a teaspoonful on each open sardine. Then take another sardine and top it as though you were making a sandwich. In a greased pan, arrange the sardines vertically, separated by bay leaves. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 20 minutes. Serve while hot.

X

menfi

Planeta Sito dell'Ulmo Merlot Menfi Doc sa
Sito dell’Ulmo Merlot
Sicilia D.O.C.
100% Merlot
chardonnay
Chardonnay
Sicilia Menfi D.O.C.
100% Chardonnay
cometa
Cometa
Sicilia Menfi D.O.C.
100% Fiano
Burdese-menfi-doc-SA
Burdese
Sicilia DOC
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc
Planeta-Maroccoli-sa
Maroccoli
Sicilia Menfi D.O.C.
100% Syrah
Plumbago
Plumbago
Menfi D.O.C.
100% Nero d’Avola
Alastro-senza-annata
Alastro
Menfi D.O.C.
85% Grecanico, 15% Sauvignon Blanc
Terebinto-menfi-doc
Terebinto
Menfi D.O.C.
100% Grillo
La_segreta_bianco
La Segreta Bianco
Sicilia D.O.C.
40% Grecanico, 20% Chardonnay, 20% Grillo, 20% other varieties
La_segreta_rosso
La Segreta Rosso
Sicilia D.O.C.
50% Nero d’Avola 25% Merlot 20% Syrah 5% Cabernet Franc
Rosè 2016_sa
Rosé
Sicilia D.O.C.
50% Nero d’Avola 50% Syrah
lamistanza
L’Amistanza
Sicilia D.O.C.
50% Fiano, 50% Grecanico

vittoria

Frappato
Frappato
Vittoria D.O.C.
100% Frappato
Dorilli
Dorilli
Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico D.O.C.G.
70% Nero d’Avola 30% Frappato
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Cerasuolo di Vittoria D.O.C.G.
60% Nero d’Avola 40% Frappato

noto

Planeta Santa Cecilia
Santa Cecilia
Noto D.O.C.
100% Nero d’Avola
allemanda
Allemanda
Sicilia Noto D.O.C.
100% Moscato Bianco
Planeta_Passito di Noto sa
Passito di Noto
Sicilia Noto D.O.C.
100% Moscato Bianco
Controdanza
Controdanza
Noto D.O.C.
85% Nero d’Avola, 15% Merlot

etna

Eruzione-1614-Nerello-Mascalese
Eruzione 1614 Nerello Mascalese
Sicilia D.O.C.
100% Nerello Mascalese
Eruzione-1614-Pinot-Nero-sa
Eruzione 1614 Pinot Nero
Terre Siciliane I.G.T.
100% Pinot Nero
Planeta-Brut-Metodo-Classico
Brut Metodo Classico
Sicilia D.O.C.
100% Carricante
Planeta Eruzione_ Riesling
Eruzione 1614 Riesling
Terre Siciliane I.G.T.
100% Riesling Renano
Eruzione-1614-Carricante
Eruzione 1614 Carricante
Sicilia D.O.C.
100% Carricante
Planeta Etna Bianco Doc
Etna Bianco Contrada Taccione
Etna D.O.C.
100% Carricante
Planeta Etna Rosso Doc
Etna Rosso
Etna D.O.C.
100% Nerello Mascalese

capo-milazzo

Planeta - Mamertino 2015 sa
Mamertino
Mamertino D.O.C.
60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Nocera
Nocera
Nocera
Sicilia D.O.C.
100% Nocera

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