Agricola Gilì: Catarratto, Moscato and Sicily’s coastal vineyards
From the newsletter archive. Originally sent 28 July 2026; adapted for the Journal on 29 October 2026.
Starting with the place
Founded in 2022, Agricola Gilì is Ermanno and Alice’s project at Torretta Granitola on Sicily’s south-western coast. The vineyards sit within the Gorghi Tondi Nature Reserve, where sea breezes, sunshine and indigenous varieties shape the wines.
Our July 2026 newsletter described careful farming with limited soil disturbance and an emphasis on biodiversity. In the cellar, native yeasts, no filtration and minimal sulphur kept the approach similarly restrained.
Two different growing seasons
The story contrasted a very dry 2024 season with the greater rainfall of winter and spring 2025. Those differences gave useful context for a release spanning the two years, rather than treating every vintage as interchangeable.
Two expressions of Catarratto
Bislacco 2024 was harvested in two passes to balance freshness and ripeness, then fermented and aged in stainless steel. The tasting notes focused on citrus, orchard fruit, Mediterranean herbs and a saline finish.
Sotto Scacco 2024 came from a smaller parcel and matured in used oak barrels until spring. With just 670 bottles in the release, it explored a more textured and concentrated side of Catarratto. The purpose of the wood was to add shape while keeping the grape at the centre.
N°5: aroma and gentle skin contact
N°5 2025 was predominantly Moscato Bianco with a small proportion of Grillo. Half the fruit spent twelve days on skins; the rest was pressed directly, before maturation in stainless steel.
Flowers, citrus peel and stone fruit were the aromatic starting points, with skin contact contributing gentle texture. Across the three wines, the common thread was a coastal character expressed in different ways, from direct freshness to greater depth.