Donnafugata Passito di Pantalleria Ben Rye 0.375L 2023

Donnafugata Ben Rye is a sweet and aromatic white passito wine. It boasts the DOC Pantelleria Passito fortified designation. Produced in Sicily, it is made with 100% Zibibbo grapes. The Donnafugata winery takes inspiration from “The Leopard,” the novel by Tomasi di Lampedusa, which means “woman on the run,” referring to the queen who found refuge among the vineyards of that part of Sicily. This explains why its famous symbol is a woman with windswept hair. The renowned Sicilian company has three locations: in Marsala, where its wines are aged and bottled; in Contessa Entellina, where there are 270 hectares of vineyards and 9 hectares of olive groves; and in Khamma on Pantelleria, where there are 68 hectares of Zibibbo vineyards. The name Ben Rye comes from the Arabic language and means “son of the wind,” a tribute to the wind that constantly blows through the vineyards of Pantelleria. It has inspired famous master chocolatiers who created De Bondt Rye chocolates. The Donnafugata Ben Rye passito is made with Zibibbo grapes from 12 different districts of Sicily and trained in the Pantelleria bush vine system. Harvest begins after the second half of August, and the bunches are left to dry naturally for 20-30 days. Then the grapes are processed fresh, left to cool, and carefully pressed to obtain the must. After the delicate maceration phase, the wine ages for at least 7 months in vats and 12 months in the bottle. The result is a sweet, fresh, and highly aromatic passito wine.