The 2024 vintage at Lamoresca demanded early decisions and quick action. With extreme heat forcing historically early harvests – Vermentino picked in mid-August, Frappato in early September – Filippo Rizzo's decades of experience proved invaluable. Working alongside his son Simon, who's been learning the nuances of blending and cellar work while handling the commercial side, they've managed to capture surprising freshness and balance despite the challenging conditions. The wines show beautiful restraint, avoiding the over-ripeness trap that claimed many in this scorching vintage.
The headline news is the arrival of Catarratto, a new single-varietal bottling in extremely limited quantities. Made from Catarratto Extra Lucido – a higher-quality sub-variety – planted in sandy soils, this wine aims to restore honor to Sicily's most planted grape. Picked at full ripeness rather than the typical early harvest, it reveals the complete spectrum of what Catarratto can achieve: structure, elegance, and genuine complexity. With only 1,300 bottles produced, this is one for the true believers.
The core 2024 lineup reflects both the vintage's extremes and the Rizzos' deft handling of them. Despite the heat, alcohols remain moderate – the Bianco clocks in at just 12.5%, lower than previous years. The Rosato returns to its traditional blend after 2023's mildew-forced pivot to mostly Nero d'Avola. Early harvesting preserved the Frappato's characteristic freshness in both the Nerocapitano and Rosso. Meanwhile, the 2023 Nero showcases the transformative power of extended maceration – two months on skins mellowing Nero d'Avola's typical sharp edges – while the 2022 Elsa demonstrates how three distinct terroirs can create complexity through careful blending.
Lamoresca Bianco 2024 - 100% Vermentino from clay soils at 430 meters elevation. Two days of skin maceration followed by aging in large Slavonian oak casks. The clay terroir brings the salty mineral complexity, while the lower alcohol this vintage enhances the wine's precision and food-pairing versatility.
Lamoresca Rosato 2024 - The traditional blend returns: 40% Frappato, 50% Nero d'Avola, 10% Moscato from sandy soils. After 3-4 hours of skin contact, immediate pressing preserves the wine's delicate color and aromatic complexity. Stainless steel aging maintains the fresh Mediterranean character.
Lamoresca Nerocapitano 2024 - 100% Frappato, known locally as Capitano Nero. Fourteen days of maceration with manual punchdowns twice daily, followed by aging in concrete tanks. Despite the early harvest, this maintains Frappato's signature red fruit character with refreshing acidity at 12% alcohol.
Lamoresca Rosso 2024 - The estate's flagship blend: 55% Frappato, 40% Nero d'Avola, 5% Grenache. Thirty days of maceration in vertical tini with manual punchdowns, then aged in 25-year-old Slavonian oak casks. The blend showcases the Cerasuolo-esque marriage of Frappato's elegance with Nero d'Avola's structure.
Lamoresca Nero 2023 - 100% Nero d'Avola from vines aged 70+ years, planted in sandy soils. Two months of extended maceration transforms the variety's typically sharp tannins into a wine of remarkable elegance. After one year in concrete and two additional years in bottle, this is ready to showcase Nero d'Avola's serious side.
Lamoresca Elsa 2022 - A thoughtful blend of terroirs and varieties with 70% Nerello Mascalese from hard clay soils, with 15% each of Nero d'Avola and Frappato from sandy/limestone terroirs. Five days maceration creates a concentrated wine with pronounced tannins and structure. After three years of aging, the wine has reached beautiful harmony, with significant aging potential.
Lamoresca Catarratto 2022 - Sicily's ubiquitous grape reimagined. Full ripeness, skin contact, oak aging. Only 1,300 bottles produced.