Donnafugata "Mille e una Notte" Sicilia DOC 2020
(Sicily, Italy) - [VM 94] [WA 94] [WE 94] [JS 93] [DM 92] [WS 91]

About the Wine:
DIALOGUE WITH ART: The palace shown on the label is the one where Queen Maria Carolina took refuge fleeing from Naples and was the favorite house of the writer Tomasi di Lampedusa in Santa Margherita Belice. Gabriella Anca Rallo – founder of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo – captures the image and embeds it into the sky from Arabian Nights, full of stars and full of promise. A tribute to the passionate masterpiece of oriental literature, capable of telling a thousand and one stories.

Vineyard Notes:
Production Zone: South-western Sicily, Contessa Entellina Estate and nearby areas.
Soils & Climate: Altitude from 200 to 400 meters a.s.l. (656-1,312 ft); hilly orography; clay loam soils with a sub-alkaline reaction (pH 7.5 to 7.9) rich in nutritive elements (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc) and total limestone from 20 to 35%. Mild winters with little rainfall. Warm, dry, ventilated summers. Substantial differences between day and night-time temperatures.
Vineyard: VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) training with spurred cordon pruning g, leaving 6 to 8 buds per plant. Planting density of 4,500 to 6,000 plants per hectare (1,800-2,400 an acre) and yields of about 4-5 tons per hectare (1.6-2 tons an acre).

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 26 months in bottle before release.

Tasting Notes:
With an intense ruby red color, Mille e Una Notte 2020 presents a complex bouquet characterized by notes of blackberries and current, fresh balsamic hints, spicy scents of black pepper, and delicate nuances of sweet toasting. On the palate, it is wide with velvety tannins. It ends with notable persistence and captivating sapidity.

Technical Info:
Denomination: Sicilia Doc Rosso
Grapes: Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot, Syrah and other grapes
Alcohol: 13.48% vol.
Total Acidity: 5.4 g/l.
pH: 3.69

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2020 Mille e Una Notte opens with a basket of berries and spices, further complicated by shavings of cedar and minty herbs. It's silky yet sincere, with tart wild berry fruits and licorice underscored by saline minerals as a balsamic resonance forms toward the close. The 2020 finishes structured and long. Fine-tannins saturate the senses as savory herbs and hints of tart blackberry fade. Bury this deep in the cellar. (Drink between 2030-2042)." - Eric Guido (Jul 2024)

94 Points - Wine Advocate:
"One of Sicily's most beloved reds, the Donnafugata 2020 Sicilia Mille e Una Notte is Nero d'Avola with Petit Verdot, Syrah and a few other local grapes. All the fruit is selected from across the Rallo family's sprawling Contessa Entellina estate that counts 343 hectares of vines. This barrique-aged red offers lots of fruit weight and a full-bodied approach with dark fruit, dried blackberry, spice and sweet tobacco. This vintage offers especially supple tannins and lasting richness. Production this year is 58,000 bottles." - Monica Larner (Apr 2025)

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"The Mille e una Notte marriage of Syrah and Nero d'Avola feels like a fairy tale romance—brooding and intense at first, then exuberant and exciting, with a warm, comforting finish. A story that gets better every time I read it." - Danielle Callegari (Sep 2025)

93 Points - James Suckling:
"A dark and complex wine with aromas of dark fruit, dark chocolate, licorice and smoke. Full-bodied, it shows density and firm, velvety tannins, with refreshing acidity and a savory finish focused on graphite flavors. It has potential for aging, yet is good to drink now."  (Mar 2025)

92 Points - Decanter Magazine: 
"Mille e Una Notte is always a pleasure to drink. A deep and rich blend of Nero d'Avola, Syrah and Petit Verdot, the 2020 is a sapid and grippy concoction with spiced plum and blueberry in depth. It doesn't quite have the fragrance of the 2019, but it's a great effort nonetheless." - James Button (Sep 2024)

91 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A round and balanced red, with fine, sculpted tannins enmeshed in a swathe of black cherry, plum sauce, herbed olive and paprika notes. Long and fresh, with hints of loamy earth and mocha lingering on the finish. Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Drink now through 2030. 6,580 cases made, 300 cases imported." - Alison Napjus (Nov 2024)