The colour of a brick-tinged Nebbiolo in the glass, this singular red/white blend of Catarratto and Pignatello really captures the essence of this far-flung volcanic island. Packed full of dusty black fruit, floral cherry blossom, exotic spices and the twang of salinity that the Sirocco wind brings in on the breeze, it's a fine balance between detailed layers of structure and seductive drinkability. The ancient vessels in which it is made impart a beautiful granular texture, which seems to intwine with the herbal, amaro-esque bitters of the long finish. Given a light chill and a few moments to open up in the glass, this wine is an evocative, ever-evolving joy.
Following the same earthly process as the other Bbirbiciù wines, the grapes are de-stemmed, crushed by foot and filled into amphora which are buried in the ground by the vineyard. Depending on each vessel the juice sits in contact with the skins for between 8 and 15 days before being run off and fed back into the vessels and left untouched for between 4 to 6 months, before bottling with no additions at any stage.
Established in 2020, Bbirbiciù is the project of a young group of conscientious growers, led by Davide Genovese, who are looking deep into the past for their inspiration. Based on the remote, windswept volcanic island of Pantelleria, south of Sicily (in fact closer to Tunisia), the group are seeking to revive and preserve the ancient ways of the vignaioli of old, both in the respectful way the vines are tended and the hands-off methods used to vinify the fruit in the cantina.
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. 80% of the planting is Zibibbo, the highly aromatic Sicilian strain of Muscat of Alexandria, with the remaining 20% given over to Catarratto and Pignatello. 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. They sit over deep, mineral-rich volcanic soils made up of sandy, decomposed lava rock, known locally as ‘soki soki’. This land has never seen chemical herbicides or pesticides; in the past it was farmed organically, now Davide has begun to introduce biodynamic principles and even treatment of copper is only deployed when absolutely necessary.
Vinifications take 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 the skins for between 6 and 8 months. The wines are then racked and bottled in the spring with no additions at all.
The results are wild, vivid expressions that offer unique taste of both a land and time far, far away. Heady with musky aromatics of wild herbs, spice and salty ocean surf, complex and multilayered in texture and with an irresistible vitality. When we talk about that elusive ‘sense of place’ in wine it is hard to think of a better example; Bbirbiciù is all about the translation of this singular landscape, intervening only as much as is required to capture its essence and put it in the glass.
