Giulia Monteleone

Monteleone is an intimate wine project that originated in Sicily in 2017, led by Giulia Monteleone, her husband Benedetto Alessandro and her father Enrico. They consciously chose a compact domain of only 2 hectares at their start, located near the Alcantara River, at an altitude of 500 meters at the foot of Etna, planted with vines that are between 40 and 50 years old. The domain consists of two separate vineyards on the northern flank of the Etna volcano: Cuba and Pontale Palino. In the Cuba vineyard, the grape varieties nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccio predominate, supplemented with a small amount of carricante for the production of white wines. The Pontale Palino vineyard is also distinguished by its nerello varieties, but the special thing here is that these vines are pre-phylloxera and are used exclusively for the premium cuvées. These vineyards benefit from a unique subsoil of volcanic lava, supplemented with layers of natural stone, pumice and sand, which gives the wines a characteristic purity. The grapes are picked by hand, usually between late October and early November, and each parcel is vinified separately. Large wooden barrels of 500 and 700 liters are used, and the wines always undergo a period of bottle aging before being released on the market.