Regaleali Vigna San Francesco Chardonnay 2016
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Robert
Parker
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Golden-yellow in color, layered aromas of pineapple and ripe tree fruits complement undertones of pear, candied pineapple, white chocolate, hazelnut and brioche. On the palate, this wine shows poise and presence; a rich and textured wine with a refreshing backbone of acidity that draws into a layered and lasting finish.
Pair this wine with fish prepared al cartoccio, soubise sauces, roasted chicken, and even salmon a la plancha.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Sicilia Chardonnay Vigna San Francesco Tenuta Regaleali is a delightful interpretation with an unexpected Burgundian flare that appears despite the wine's fiercely Sicilian soul. The bouquet is full and generous with yellow fruit and rose backed by spice and crushed flint. The wine matures in oak for eight months. Its texture and structure are mildly amplified as a result. The 14% alcohol is noticeable, but it's not too strong. Some 42,000 bottles were made. This wine used to be called Sicilia Contea di Sclafani Chardonnay Vigna San Francesco Tenuta Regaleali.
The wines of Regaleali continue to grow in both quantity and quality thanks to the hard work and dedication of Count Giuseppe Tasca over the past 50 years. Today the winery is run by Lucio Tasca and his sons, Giuseppe and Alberto who are increasingly involved in management. Carlo Ferrini, one of Italy's most renown enologists, is makes the wines. In conjunction with the winery, Anna Tasca Lanza - Lucio's sister – also runs a highly regarded cooking school at the estate.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A large, geographically and climatically diverse island, just off the toe of Italy, Sicily has long been recognized for its fortified Marsala wines. But it is also a wonderful source of diverse, high quality red and white wines. Steadily increasing in popularity over the past few decades, Italy’s fourth largest wine-producing region is finally receiving the accolades it deserves and shining in today's global market.
Though most think of the climate here as simply hot and dry, variations on this sun-drenched island range from cool Mediterranean along the coastlines to more extreme in its inland zones. Of particular note are the various microclimates of Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on drastically steep hillsides and varying aspects to the Ionian Sea. The more noteworthy red and white Sicilian wines that come from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna include Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (whites). All share a racy streak of minerality and, at their best, bear resemblance to their respective red and white Burgundies.
Nero d’Avola is the most widely planted red variety, and is great either as single varietal bottling or in blends with other indigenous varieties or even with international ones. For example, Nero d'Avola is blended with the lighter and floral, Frappato grape, to create the elegant, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of the more traditional and respected Sicilian wines of the island.
Grillo and Inzolia, the grapes of Marsala, are also used to produce aromatic, crisp dry Sicilian white. Pantelleria, a subtropical island belonging to the province of Sicily, specializes in Moscato di Pantelleria, made from the variety locally known as Zibibbo.