Nero D'Avola Siccagno, Occhipinti (Sicily, Italy)

Arianna Occhipinti’s “Siccagno” is a benchmark Nero d’Avola—elegant, lifted, and far from the overworked norm. From organically farmed 35-year-old vines rooted in red sandy clay over limestone in Sicily’s southeast, the grapes are hand-harvested and destemmed, fermented spontaneously in concrete with native yeasts, and macerated for about 30 days. Aging takes place in large Slavonian oak botti for 22 months before bottling without fining or filtration, preserving the wine’s purity and depth.

This 100% Nero d’Avola balances vibrant dark cherry, wild herbs, and saline minerality with restrained extraction and fine, dusty tannins. Arianna—a pioneer of Sicily’s natural wine movement—cultivates refinement over power, and “Siccagno” is her definitive statement: a soulful, structured red that captures the variety’s potential when farmed with care and vinified with precision.