2021 Il Censo, Terre Siciliane, Praruar

Gaetano Gargano’s Il Censo project, guided by the winemaking philosophies of Giampiero Bea, centers on the restoration of high-altitude, organically farmed vineyards in the rugged interior of south-central Sicily. The Praruar is 100% Catarratto sourced from the estate in Palazzo Adriano, where volcanic subsoils and extreme diurnal shifts at 700 meters elevation provide the foundation for a wine of significant structural density. Following a three-week skin maceration with indigenous yeasts and no temperature regulation, the wine achieves a robust textural weight and assertive phenolic presence. In the arid and exceptionally warm 2021 vintage, the estate’s high elevation was critical for acid retention, balancing the year’s concentrated physiological ripeness with a persistent, saline-driven nerve. This architectural balance yields a mid-palate of notable density supported by fine-grained, sinewy tannins and a dry, resonant finish.