# Gibil (2022)

- **Producer:** Agricola Virà
- **Colour:** orange
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Catarratto, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
- **Region:** Sicilia, Italy
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €23
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, pear, apple, lemon, fennel, herbaceous

## About this wine

Agricola Virà is a boutique artisanal estate located in Contrada Suro, within the protected Madonie Regional Natural Park in northwestern Sicily. Under the guidance of Vincenzo Rappa, the winery underwent a 'naturalist pivot,' transitioning entirely to certified organic and biodynamic farming. The estate's high-altitude vineyards, situated between 250 and 300 meters above sea level, benefit from a unique microclimate that combines cool mountain air with maritime influences from the nearby coast. Gibil represents a unique botanical collision, blending the rustic native Sicilian Catarratto grape with international varieties Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, which thrive unexpectedly well in this cooler mountain terroir.

## Interesting facts

- Only 4,100 bottles of the 2022 Gibil vintage were produced, making it a highly sought-after, micro-allocated natural wine.
- The vineyards are located inside the Madonie Regional Natural Park, benefiting from a pristine, high-altitude mountain ecosystem.
- The wine undergoes a brief three-hour skin contact during pressing, giving it a light amber hue and a subtle structural grip.

## Food pairing

Gibil's high natural acidity and distinct marine salinity make it an exceptional partner for seafood. The subtle structural grip from its brief three-hour skin maceration allows it to cut through the richness of olive oil and creamy cheeses, while its herbal and citrus notes beautifully complement fresh herbs and light, savory dishes.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Gibil is designed to preserve the pure expression of the Madonie terroir with minimal intervention. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand in early September. Upon arrival at the winery, they undergo a slow, gentle pressing with a brief three-hour skin maceration, which coaxes out a delicate amber-gold hue and subtle phenolic texture. Spontaneous fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 18°C using only indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for five months in stainless steel to maintain its fresh, unoaked character, followed by static cold decantation and winter racking. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.