The latest from Bbirbiciù
Straight off the sunkissed volcanic rock of Sicilian satellite Pantelleria, the new 2022 vintage of Testa de Ghiaca is here, care of Bbirbiciù.
It’s 100% Zibibbo. The concentration of the wine is impressive, glowing a sandy gold in the glass and generously textured. The aromatic potential of the grape is dialled right up with this ancient style of vinification; heady floral notes, ripe tropical fruits and exotic spices leap from the glass. On the palate the wine mixes this brightness with earthy, honeyed tones, salinity and a tightly-wound acidity; the finish is impossibly long. An otherworldly delight.
Their 3.5 hectare surface sits between 2-300m altitude on the plain of Bukkuram, the land that rolls off the base of Montagna Grande in the center of the island; historically the most fertile and productive agricultural land to be found here. They are all head-trained bush vines at around 60 years old; a traditional method of viticulture that, paired with the cover provided by the shadow of the mountain, protects from the year-round bluster of the Sirocco wind and the blistering heat of the Mediterranean sun.
Vinification takes place completely in amphora; a series of these clay vessels sized between 320-1600 litres are buried in a 40 square meter ‘amphoraia’ amongst the vines. The grapes are de-stemmed and, channeling the heat of the earth, conditions are correct to cause a spontaneous fermentation within these sealed pots, where the resulting wine sits in contact with a portion of the skins for between 6 and 8 months. The wines are then racked and bottled in the spring with no additions at all.
Find the wines here.
