2018 Donnafugata ‘Mille e Una Notte’ Sicilia DOC

 73,00 NO VAT (private collection)

The highly expressive 2018 Mille e Una Notte entices with a wild blend of blackberry, graphite, blood orange pith and tobacco. Silken in feel yet lifted and energetic, it offers crisp red and black fruits driven by a core of nervous acidity. Savory herbal tones swirl throughout, and the finish brings a cascade of minerals and spices. Only gently tannic, it leaves a sour cherry resonance to linger. The cool 2018 vintage is already showing incredibly well, with an almost old-school Bordeaux character that I find wildly attractive.

Eric Guido. Tasting date: July 2025   93 pts
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Mille e una Notte 2018, with an intense ruby red color,  presents a complex bouquet characterized by notes of red (cherry) and black (blackberry) fruits, fresh balsamic (eucalyptus) and spicy hints (black pepper) augmented by delicate nuances of vanilla. On the palate it is soft and enveloping, with great structure and tannins are mature and refined. It ends with a notable persistence.

PRODUCTION AREA

Southwestern Sicily, in the Estate located in the town of Contessa Entellina and in other areas particularly suitable for viticul-ture.

SOILS AND CLIMATE

Prevalence of vineyards with altitude from 200 to 400 meters a.s.l. (656-1,312 ft) with hilly orography and clay loam soils. Mild winters with little rainfall; warm, dry, ventilated summers with substantial differences between day and night-time temperatures.

VINEYARD

VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) training with spurred cordon pruning, and other traditional training methods suitable for producing quality grapes.

VINTAGE

The 2021 vintage recorded 615 mm of rainfall, slightly less than the average of 645 mm* for this area. The rainfall was concentrated in the winter, while the spring was dry; during this season, the delicate phases of flowering and fruit set proceeded regularly. The entire vegetative and productive cycle was accompanied by intense and careful vineyard work and thus concluded regularly. The quantity of grapes produced was in line with the estate’s average. The quality fully met the company’s objectives.

HARVEST

Manual harvesting of grapes into crates with careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. The harvest of Syrah and Nero D’Avola took place between the end of August and the first days of September, according to the ripening of different varieties in the various plots; the Peit Verdot was harvested on September 6th.

WINEMAKING AND AGING

A further selection is carried out in the cellar, thanks to the latest generation destemmer, able to discard the green and overripe berries that might still be on the clusters. Fermentation in stainless steel and maceration on the skins at controlled temperature. The aging took place for 12 months in new French oak barriques. The barriques used were selected from the best tonnellerie, with fine and extra-fine grain and a medium-toasting level. The wine was then aged for nearly 2 years in bottle.

AGING POTENTIAL

Over 20 years.

FIRST VINTAGE

1995

 

Additional information

Vintage

2018

Begin consume

2025

End Consume

2034

Size

750ml

Color

Red

Variety

Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot, Syrah

Closure

Cork

Alcohol % vol.

13,5 to 14,5%

Category

Dry

Producer

Donnafugata

Designation

Unknown

Vineyard

Contessa Entellina

Country

Italy

Region

Sicily

Sub-Region

Unknown

Appellation

Sicily DOC

Typification

Private (Wine from a private collection – invoice without VAT)

SKU 4231767
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