Pithos Rosso 2020

Name of Producer
COS
Region
Sicily
Tipo de vino
Tinto
Funk Factor
High
Sulfitos Totales
35 mg/l
Annual Production (bottles)
12,500
Varietals
60% Nero D’Avola 40% Frappato
Viticulture
COS practices 100% organic agriculture in its vineyards. Despite having a latitude below that of the northernmost tip of Africa, harvest occurs late. Grapes are harvested by hand as the parcels mature. Due to the nutrient poor soil, phenolic ripeness occurs very late in the season, often not until mid-October.
Altitude 
290
Soil Type
Sandstone and limestone
Vinification
The grapes are lightly crushed and de-stemmed, then both varietals are transferred to a concrete tank to co-mingle. The must macerates on the skins for up to one week. Then it is transferred to amphora with all of the skins. Fermentation occurs in the amphora which is only covered with a cotton cloth to allow CO2 to escape and prevent the entrance of insects and dust. Once fermentation is complete, the amphora is sealed with a steel lid. For the next 6 to 8 days, the amphora is opened daily for battonage to allow the CO2 to escape. After that the wine is left to rest quietly, with tastings every two to three weeks to monitor the evolution of the wine. In April, the wines from the various amphorae are combined into a single tank and left to rest together for two to three months before bottling.