Donnafugata Dolce & Gabbana "Tancredi" Terre Siciliane IGT 2020
(Sicily, Italy) - [JS 93] [VM 91] [WS 90]

About the Wine:
Dialogue with creativity: the name Tancredi recalls one of the protagonists of the Leopard, an inexhaustible source of inspiration also for Dolce&Gabbana; in the novel and in the film of the same name, Tancredi is the favorite nephew of the Prince of Salina, precisely because of his charm and ability to adapt to changes. With a passionate and irrefutably Sicilian character, Tancredi was born in 1990 from an innovative blend for that era of a native grape variety with an international one. Dolce&Gabbana has created the coordinated image of this “revolutionary” wine, paying homage precisely to the Leopard, and in particular to the contrast between tradition and modernity that Tancredi summarizes in itself: while gold, blue and lines sinuous of Baroque inspiration celebrate the splendor of the aristocracy now in decline, red, green and pointed geometric figures refer to the new revolutionary values that are emerging in Sicily after the unification of Italy and which prelude to the contemporary history of the island.

Vineyard Notes:
Denomination: Terre Siciliane IGT Rosso
Production Area: Donnafugata Contessa Entellina estate and neighboring territories, in the heart of south-western Sicily; the vineyards are on the hills, on mainly clayey soils.

Winemaking Notes:
Fermentation in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for about 14 days at a temperature of 28-30° C. Aging for 14 months in oak and at least 2 years in bottle before release.

Tasting Notes:
With an intense ruby red color, Tancredi 2020 combines notes of ripe red fruit -black cherry and plums- followed by delicate spicy hints, cacao and sweet tobacco. On the palate it unfolds all its enveloping and plentiful personality with perfectly integrated tannins; it ends with a long and elegant persistence.

Technical Info:
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d’Avola, Tannat 
Alcohol: 13.91% vol.
Total acidity: 5.4 g/l.
pH: 3.65

Ratings & Reviews

93 Points - James Suckling:
"This has aromas of blackberries, lemons, peppercorns, dried sage, smoke, grilled porcini mushrooms, toffee and mocha. It’s medium-to full-bodied with ripe, polished tannins. Velvety and layered, with a lengthy and flavorful finish. Drink or hold." (Aug 2022)

91 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2018 Tancredi Dolce & Gabbana is a deep purple color in the glass, with a dark and moody mix of plum sauce, black currants, grilled herbs and balsamic spice. It’s silky-smooth and elegant with medium-bodied weight, hosting depths of black and red wild berry fruits, hints of sour citrus and mocha. Fine tannins are left to linger through the incredibly long and lightly structured finale, as inner violet florals and hints of salted licorice taper off. The Tancredi is primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d'Avola and Tannat, and it is refined for a year in new barriques. It’s a very pretty, yet deep, wine that needs a bit of cellaring to come fully into focus." - Eric Guido (Jun 2022)

90 Points - Wine Spectator:
"An exuberant red, with cedar, tobacco and spice notes exploding from the glass, serving as a fragrant overtone for sweet and juicy notes of raspberry coulis and macerated blackberry fruit. Chalky tannins firm the fresh, fragrant finish. This could use some short-term cellaring to bring everything together. Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d'Avola and Tannat. Best after 2024. 334 cases imported." - Alison Napjus (Nov 2022)