Mille e una Notte, Donnafugata

MILLE E UNA NOTTE 

Type

Red Contessa Entellina D.O.C.

Grapes

Nero d'Avola and a small percentage of other varieties

Production area

South-western Sicily, Contessa Entellina Estate

Altitude

200 to 600 m AMSL

Orography

hilly

Soils

Clayey with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 8). Total limestone from 20 to 35%. Rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc)

VINEYARD

Training and pruning

VSP (vertical shoot positioning), with wooden stakes and stainless steel wires; cordon spur training, leaving 6 to 8 buds per plant

Planting densities

4,500 to 6,000 plants per hectare (1,822-2,429 an acre)

Yield per hectare

about 4 tons (1.6 tons an acre)

Vintage 2007

rainfall was below the average, concentrated more in spring than in autumn/winter; the atmospheric temperature range during the summer period have had very positive effects on the quality of the grapes ripen, as in typical Sicilian vintages, but with an acceleration in the end of August. With scents of fruit and eucalyptus, Mille e una Notte 2007 is a true champion of harmony

CELLAR

Fermentation

in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for about 12 days at a temperature of 26 - 30 °C (79-86°F)

Aging

in mostly new French oak barrels for a period of 15-16 months and then in bottle for about 30 months

Analysis data

alcohol 13.37% ABV, total acidity 6.2 g/l, pH 3.53

TASTING NOTES

Description

Mille e una Notte 2007 - the standard-bearer of Donnafugata red wines - offers a further proof of elegance and complexity. It is of an intense ruby red color; the nose opens to ripe cherries and mulberries merging with delicate hints of eucalyptus; the taste is round, with a structured and caressing tannin; very persistent

Aging potential

over 12 years

THE WINE EXPERIENCE

Food & Wine

with elaborate dishes of red meat, pork, lamb. Also try it with tasty dishes of fish, baked or stewed and medium aged cheeses. If served in large, big-bellied goblets it can be uncorked a few minutes before, otherwise a couple of hours earlier; excellent at 18°C (64°F)

Occasions

protagonist of an elegant dinner and of your most special and important moments

Art & wine

The palace shown on the label is the one where Queen Maria Carolina took refuge fleeing from Naples and was the favorite house of the writer Tomasi di Lampedusa in Santa Margherita Belice. Gabriella Anca Rallo – Donnafugata’s founder with her husband Giacomo  -captures the image and embeds into the sky from "Arabian Nights" full of stars and full of promise. The strong and passionate character of this wine has inspired maître chocolatier Ernst Knam in his creation of the "Mille e una Notte with chili" pralines

First vintage

1995