NAME’S ORIGIN: a combination of the words Syrah (Shiraz) and Merlot.

DENOMINATION: IGT Terre Siciliane.
LOCATION: Syrah in Contrada Baroni, Noto (SR), Merlot in

Contrada Pianetto, Santa Cristina Gela (PA) for the Merlot.

YIELD PER HECTARE: Syrah 9 tonnes per ha, Merlot 9 tonnes per ha.

VINE DENSITY: Syrah 7 ha con 8.264 plants per ha, Merlot 4.830 plants per ha.

SOIL QUALITY: Syrah: medium-textured sandy soil; Merlot: medium-textured, rich in clay, gravel and minerals.

ELEVATION: 50 m a.s.l. for the Syrah and 650 m a.s.l. for the Merlot.

TRAINING SYSTEM: vertical trellises. PRUNING: spur-trained cordons, 8/10 buds. BOTTLES PRODUCED: 26.000.
FIRST VINTAGE: 2004.
GRAPE BLEND: Syrah – Merlot
HARVEST: manual, August and September.

VINIFICATION: grapes are sorted by hand before they are destemmed and lightly pressed. Early natural fermentation using the grapes’ own wild

yeast, maceration with the aid of marc presses and delestage fermentation to best preserve the primary character of the grapes.

AGEING: in French oak barriques for 12 months, new, a second or third ageing depending on vintage. In bottle for 24 months.

TOTAL ACIDITY: 6.02 g/L. ALCOHOL: 14.5%.
TASTING NOTES:
COLOUR: A clear and vivid ruby red.

AROMA: Its aroma is intense, complex and end with floral notes of rose, lavender and violet; hints of red fruits like blackcurrant, strawberry and blackberry but mostly ripe cherry. From aging in barrique derive tertiary oak notes, those toasted of bacon, coffee and finally those spicy of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.

FLAVOUR AND TEXTURE: Dry, warm and soft, with good freshness of taste, quite tasty and with a silky and enveloping tannin. Full bodied, balanced, intense, persistent with an excellent quality.

FOOD PAIRINGS: Stew of meat, cheeses, risotto with mushrooms, pappardelle with meat sauce and meat rolls at Palermo style stuffed with breadcrumbs, cheese, onion, pine nuts and raisins.

IDEAL SERVING TEMPERATURE: 16-18°C.