2022 Nicolo Grippaldi Il Vino di Pico Rosso
Passion and Artistry in Sicily’s Newest Ancient Vineyard
March 28, 2025
From university halls saturated with pensive thought to nascent vineyards in the formerly abandoned, high, rocky hills of central Sicily, Nicolò Grippaldi’s path to his current vocation as the province of Enna’s singular producer of fine wine is filled with family and its roots, friends and mentors, and destiny found in nature.
After encountering biodynamics in his studies of philosophy in Florence and learning their practice from friends at Tuscany’s Castello dei Rampolla, Nicolò returned to his great-grandfather’s seven-acre vineyard with its 200-year-old pre-phylloxera vine shoots of Nerello Mascalese and Nero d’Avola.
With strict adherence to biodynamic principles in his farming and fastidious techniques in the cellar, Nicolò, mostly by himself, produces only 11,000 bottles of five exceptional wines, expressing the different marriages of his Nerello and Nero fruit, aiming to produce wine truly representative of his distinctive terroir.
Loath to be lumped in with the ‘glou glou’ style of naturally made wines, these are true ‘natural’ wines – living, breathing liquid that, each moment open, tells an evolving story, conveying more than any eye-catching label could. This is the epitome of wine as art.
The unique microclimate of his foggy village of Gagliano Castelferrato allows each grape variety to be harvested all at once over the course of a day. The grapes are then allowed to ferment in concrete with their natural yeasts at their natural pace—with minimal sulfur. A stringent regiment of manual punch-downs every four hours follows before the wines are racked.
Vino di Pico is the stunning introduction to Nicolò’s winemaking. This fifty/fifty blend is an assemblage of his three cuvées of his family’s ancient vines and reflects the winemaking consistent across all
What makes this special: Passion, purity, and artistry
Aroma: Blackberry Compote, Anise, Toasted Spices, Peppercorn, Clove, and Cardamom. Mouth: Soft and supple, an underlying minerality, medium body, balanced acidity, fine tannins with a juicy, persistent finish. Excellent
$42, Case $36
Arrives early next week
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