Donnafugata, `Ben Ryé` Passito di Pantelleria

In 1983, the Rallo family founded Donnafugata to champion the potential of Sicily's indigenous varieties. In the decades since, their unwavering dedication to this founding principle has resulted in “some of Sicily’s top wines, if not all of Italy’s” (Eric Guido, Vinous). The family has made wine in Marsala since 1851, where their ancient cellars tunnel beneath the city. They were one of the first families to make high-quality table wine when sales of traditional Marsala started to decline. Today, Donnafugata has five estates in Sicily: the historic Rallo family cellars in Marsala, a modern winery and 330 hectares at Contessa Entellina in the hills east of Marsala, 33 hectares in the Vittoria DOC, in Acate, towards the south-eastern point of the island, 56 hectares on the island of Pantelleria, in the Khamma district, and 33 hectares on the northern slopes of Etna in Randazzo.

Donnafugata means ‘fleeing woman’ and refers to Queen Maria Carolina, who escaped the court of Naples in the early 19th century with her husband, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, when Napoleon’s troops arrived. The couple took refuge in Sicily at the Santa Margherita Belice palace, the favourite residence of celebrated writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, which is depicted on the ‘Mille e Una Notte’ label.

The Donnafugata wines fuse Sicilian tradition with a modern approach. ‘Vigna di Gabri’ blends Ansonica (Inzolia) with Chardonnay, Viognier, Catarratto and Sauvignon Blanc in differing percentages according to the vintage. On the other hand, ‘Sherazade’ is made solely from Nero d’Avola. The ‘Mille e Una Notte’, a multi-varietal blend that includes Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot and Syrah, is a wine with exceptional structure and remarkable personality. Their Frappato ‘Bell’Assai’ hails from Vittoria. It is a very pure example of this local variety defined by a light body, delicate florals and spice. The Cerasuolo ‘Floramundi’ blends the local Nero d'Avola and Frappato creating an elegant wine with the power of Nero D'Avola from Vittoria and the aromatic Frappato. The Etna wines come from high-elevation vineyards at 730 – 750 metres above sea level. A portion of the white, made solely from Carricante, is aged in used oak to enhance its texture, while a component of the red, made from Nerello Mascalese, is kept in stainless steel to enhance the freshness and intensity that characterise the wines from Etna.

Donnafugata’s masterpiece is ‘Ben Ryé’, a Zibibbo Passito from the island of Pantelleria. Donnafugata arrived here in 1989 and now cultivate vines on this volcanic island, which is closer to Tunisia than Italy. Due to this position, it is constantly swept by Mediterranean winds; Scirocco from the south and Maestrale from the north. The wine production process is heavily influenced by these winds, from the unique shape of the “Alberello Pantesco” bush vines (certified by UNESCO World Heritage) to the drying of the grapes. For this reason, Donnafugata named their Passito di Pantelleria DOC ‘Ben Ryé’ from the Arabic ‘son of the wind’. The Zibibbo (Muscat d’Alexandria) is naturally sweet yet very mineral and fragrant.

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana and Donnafugata launched their collaboration in 2017 with the aim of creating a series of special wines, combining Donnafugata’s expertise with Dolce & Gabbana’s distinctive style. The result is a range of “serious, collectable wines that can stand the test of time” (Eric Guido, vinous.com).

The ‘Rosa’ blends Nerello Mascalese from Etna and Nocera from Contessa Entellina. ‘Tancredi’ was first made in 1990 from an innovative blend of the native variety Nero d’Avola with the international Cabernet Sauvignon and is now part of this range, with special packaging and an artistic label that evokes the contrast between tradition and modernity of the wine. The ‘Cuordilava’ is a 100% Nerello Mascalese from Etna, characterised by well-integrated tannins and elegant minerality.